


Riptide

by LostAthenian



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M, Journalist Annabeth, Riptide, Superhero!Percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24636400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostAthenian/pseuds/LostAthenian
Summary: Annabeth is just a journalist for the Half-Blood Times. That’s it. What was the worst that could happen by following Manhattan’s resident superhero back to their lair?A lot. That was the answer. Ever since Annabeth followed Riptide back to his abode, she’s been thrust into a dangerous game of surprises and deceit. And the Half-Blood Times’ new photographer, Percy, has far too much to do with that.(Originally put on my Wattpad)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Luke Castellan/Thalia Grace
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

I wasn't quite sure when the age of heroes had begun. It just seemed like one day, petty crimes evolved into acts of terrorism, and new threats suddenly sprung up everywhere. But then, people with spectacular abilities began to emerge with them. At first, they had been met with suspicion and fear, but I was always drawn to them. Despite popular reports, I knew they were just people like us, trying their best and doing good things.

My name is Annabeth Chase; I'm a journalist for the Half-Blood Times, and I'm well known around the world for my groundbreaking (others call them controversial) pieces. My latest focused on superheroes, and getting people to trust them more. Like I said, something about them attracted me, especially the one the media had dubbed Riptide. He controlled the water and seemed to come from the sea, but he only worked at night. I'd always found it strange that someone of his power would want to be so hidden, especially since he was so efficient, defeating everyone who had crossed his path and keeping the city mostly clear of crime. No one in the office knew it yet, but I was planning my next piece already.

An interview with Riptide.  
________________________________________  
"Are you _crazy_?" Piper exclaimed, taking a sip of her tea, scrunching up her nose, and then slamming it onto the table.

" _Sheesh_ , say it louder Pipes I don't think the guys in the back heard you," I retorted sarcastically, rolling my eyes as I leaned back into my chair in the rec room. I grabbed Piper's mug and took a swig of tea, sighing contentedly. Piper looked at me weirdly.

Piper was one of the reporters here- as well as my best friend- and she brought in good ratings, even though half the viewers were just creeps who wanted to eat her alive. It made sense though, Piper was so beautiful, even though she always tried to downplay it. Today she'd layered a purple sweater that brought out her kaleidoscope eyes over a white collared shirt, tucked into a pair of black slacks. Her choppy hair fell into her face in an ethereal way, giving her a timeless look.

"You're out of your mind Annabeth." Piper leaned in closer to me, her eyes taking on a look of genuine concern. "The world of superheroes is dangerous. Please, Annabeth don't take this story on. You don't know what you could get yourself into."

Normally Piper was good at convincing people to do stuff, but I shook my head and stared back at her. "This could change everything Pipes. People need to know more about these superheroes, and _I'm_ going to be the bridge. People are already starting to come around after my last piece. Imagine what could happen if I get personal."

Piper shook her head and pursed her lips, staring at her folded hands. "You're a real piece of work, Chase."

I flashed a beaming smile at her. "That's what makes me so special."

Just then, Jason Grace, one of Piper's usual camera boys, burst in, pushing his glasses up his nose with one hand and holding a tray of coffee with the other. His hair was disheveled and I could've sworn I saw a hickey underneath his misbuttoned shirt.

"Hey guys," Jason breathed.

"Hey Sparky. I hope that coffee's for me, because Annabeth stole my tea. It sucked anyways but still," Piper supplied.

Jason gave her a lopsided grin, handing her a coffee cup. "A light espresso with two shots, just how you like it."

Piper took a sip and moaned. "Ugh, it's perfect. Gods do I hate tea."

Jason blushed and shrugged. "It's the least I could do since I'm late."

Piper smirked. "I wonder why. By the way, your shirt's buttoned up wrong."

Jason glared at her, making me gag. They'd always been flirty, but lately something was up. Jason was less shy around Piper, and she was acting like a damsel-in-distress.

I raised my eyebrows, trying to process the exchange. "Sorry to interrupt lovebirds, but I have a story to investigate."

I got up from my seat and left the break room, but not before swiping Piper's mug. She wouldn't miss it. I drank as I headed towards my office. I got my own private one since I was more experienced and more accomplished. Once inside, I pulled up all my research and started where I left off.

Riptide always showed around the same time- 6:00. That was right when my shift ended; perfect timing to go and get some coverage on his rounds. He always emerged near water, like the beach. And most importantly, it was always dark when he rescued someone, meaning no one could effectively see him, especially when he just disappeared.

I pulled up some stills taken from surveillance cameras and some supposed sightings of him, trying to distinguish between the real and fabricated. I was so buried in my work I hardly heard the knock on my door frame.

"Knock knock Annie."

I looked up and saw the face of one of my best friends.

"Luke!" I exclaimed, getting up to go and throw my arms around him. I pulled back to study his face. 

Luke Castellan, my best friend since I was 7. We'd practically grown up together, even though he was significantly older than me. He worked for his dad at a shipping company, but he was never too far to pop by my office. Over the years, I couldn't help but develop a little crush on him. I'd never act on it though, because he had a girlfriend— Thalia Grace, Jason's half sister and also my best friend.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still surprised by his visit. He was close enough to visit, and yet he rarely did.

"Can't I visit my favorite girl? Besides, I just thought we could grab some lunch and talk, y'know?"

I got that little spark in my chest, the one that always came up when Luke was around. I pushed it down and smiled. "Yeah, of course. Just let me grab my bag."  
________________________________________  
I settled into the booth at _Elysium_ as the waitress wandered off to get our menus. Every time we went to eat somewhere, Luke brought me somewhere fancy. _Elysium_ was a top notch place where celebrities often went to eat. It wasn't exactly my style.

"So, how are you?" I asked, leaning over the table slightly.

Luke shrugged and smiled. "I'm okay. Business is great, _I'm_ great. The usual."

"How's Thalia?"

Luke's face went sour. His eyes flashed— I could've sworn they turned gold— before he spat out, "I broke up with her."

I couldn’t stop myself from gasping. Thalia and Luke, breaking up? It didn’t seem right. I reached over the table to grab his hand. "Luke! What happened?"

"She betrayed me. Let's leave it at that," Luke said, turning his head as a bitter tone overtook his voice.

I knew Thalia, and even though she and I hadn't been in contact for a while due to her being deployed overseas, I could never see her cheating. She loved Luke with all her heart. But just as I was about to ask how she'd betrayed him, our waitress approached.

"Hi, my name's Bianca and I'll be your server today. Can I start you off with some drinks?" she asked, setting down the menu.

"I'll just have a water," I said, setting my menu down.

"I'll have a whiskey please," Luke said, his eyes still cold.

"ID please," Bianca replied, jotting things down in her notepad.

Luke pulled out his ID for her, and we got off to ordering soon after. But after the food arrived and we began to eat, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong and I had only scratched the surface of it.  
________________________________________  
I checked my watch. _6:00,_ it read. I cursed under my breath. He should've been here by now. Did I miss him?

I began to walk so I didn't look so suspicious, shoving my hands into the pockets of my tan coat and pulling my white scarf closer to me to keep warm in the cool autumn air. I didn't know where I was going, so I wandered around aimlessly, hoping Riptide would show up soon.

Somehow I found myself on the beach, breathing in the salty ocean spray. I kicked a couple rocks as I walked, figuring I could at least enjoy my time while I worked. I couldn't remember the last time I was able to relax.

 _Snap_. 

I looked down at my feet. There was only sand underneath my flats, meaning it wasn't me who made the sound. I whipped out a bronze dagger Luke had gifted to me one year (" _For protection, Annie!_ ") and began to study my surroundings. The breeze whooshed and rustled the trees, making everything much more ominous. I took a couple steps back and hit something hard. I turned with the movement and was greeted by a hideous creature: it was half man and half bull, with glowing red eyes and a— gold nose ring? It was at least ten feet tall, towering over me.

I wanted to laugh at the nose ring and the absurdity of the situation, but judging by the bull-man's growling, I was in no position to. Stumbling backwards, I tripped on my feet and planted in the wet sand. I braced myself for impact as the creature began to charge, but just as my muscles tensed up, the ocean exploded all around me, separating me and the beast. I stumbled backwards, surprised. There, standing in the water, was Riptide.

I'd never seen him up close before. I could see messy jet black hair that stuck up in every which way but he moved so fast he was just a blur of water and black hair.

He charged from the water towards the beast, summoning a blast of water into the creature's face, then pulling a sword from nowhere and stabbing it in the gut. As the creature dissolved into dust, Riptide conjured up a small whirlpool on his hand to scatter it.

I opened my mouth to say thank you, but he had already disappeared into the darkness.  
________________________________________  
The next morning at work, I replayed the last night's events in my head. I‘d spent all of last night tossing and turning as I digested what had happened yesterday, and the fatigue had begun to catch up with me. Too lost in thought, I didn't even notice the person heading straight towards me until we collided head on.

My skin burned as my hot coffee spilled over my top. "Agh! Fuc—"

I stopped myself as I looked at the person in front of me. I didn’t recognize him, but he looked like trouble.  
  
He was tall, probably about six feet, and I could see lean muscles showing through his blue dress shirt. He had a mop of disheveled black hair, as though he didn't bother to brush it when he got up. Most interesting though, were his bright green eyes, swirling with thoughts. He was giving me a strange look, as though he had seen me before. I was certain I didn't know him though. He was attractive, and I would’ve remembered seeing someone like him stroll through the office.

"Annabeth! Seems I didn't have to introduce you two since you literally bumped into each other," Piper said, stopping in front of us with a smirk. She was oddly perky today, and much too amused at my unfortunate situation. I glared at her as I was almost whacked in the face with a rogue hand.

Looking up, I saw it was Mystery Guy's hand. I accepted it and let him pull me up. I grimaced at my soaked shirt. 

"Shut up Pipes," I growled, cranky from my lack of progress, "I need to get going."

I tried to push past her, but she stopped me with a quick flick of her wrist.

"Let me introduce you at least. Annabeth, Percy. Percy, Annabeth. Who- I might add- is a _total_ grump today," Piper stage-whispered, gesturing towards the Mystery Guy— now Percy— as she spoke. “It might have something to do with her article about Riptide,” she singsonged, winking at me before she sauntered off.

Percy blushed and rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly, then offered out his hand to shake. "Uh what about Riptide?”

“I’m writing a piece on him,” I said airily, feeling defensive. I was tired of people telling me I was stupid for chasing this idea.

“Oh cool,” Percy replies. “I'm Percy, but I'm sure you already know that now. I'm the new head photographer here, so I'll be following you around on your articles and taking any photos you might need. Maybe I could help you with your new article?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Well Percy, I'm Annabeth, and I might take you up on that offer. Now, it was nice to meet you but I really need to get to work."

I stalked off to my office to change my shirt. I always kept a spare outfit, just in case of an emergency like this one or in case I slept at the office. I would have to bring a replacement tomorrow. I sighed as I closed my door behind me, rummaging through my drawers for my spare shirt. It was a crisp, white blouse that buttoned up with a black neck tie collar. As I peeled off my wet shirt, I thought about what had happened yesterday. It was definitely stuff I could put into my article.

"Hey, I— _oh my god_! I am so sorry!"

I whirled around to find a red faced Percy peeking in through my door frame. My face burned hot with embarrassment as I scrambled to cover myself up with my shirt.

After catching my breath, I whisper yelled, "Don't you know how to knock? Get in here before Piper sees this and has a blast at our next karaoke night."

Percy came inside and shut the door behind him, locking it. _That's_ what I forgot in my distracted state. _Stupid_ , I chided myself.

Percy just stood by my door, gaping like a fish and blushing furiously. He seemed like he couldn’t tell whether to stay or bolt.

"Turn around, jeez! And close your eyes for good measure," I demanded, one hand gesturing wildly and one holding up my blouse. My face was burning with indignation.

"Oh, right, yes of course," Percy mumbled, blushing an even deeper shade of red as he turned to face my door.

I buttoned up my blouse properly, tucked it into my black slacks quickly, then grabbed my wet shirt and hung it near the window to dry. Hopefully the stains would come out later in the wash, since I didn't have time to run to the laundromat right now. Seating myself at my desk, I automatically reached for my coffee cup, only to find it empty as I remembered I had spilled it all over myself when I bumped into Percy.

 _Percy_! I had nearly forgotten about him, standing by my door and practically slamming his head into the wall as he muttered incoherently.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, you can turn around now.”

Percy held out a steaming cup sheepishly. "I brought you some coffee, since I spilled your other one all over you."

 _Oh._ I accepted it gingerly. "Thanks. Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"I really appreciate this, and hopefully the next time we meet it's under better circumstances. But if you don't mind, I'm working on a really important piece that'd I'd _love_ to get back to," I said, giving Percy a tight lipped smile.

Percy looked crestfallen, and I almost felt bad.

"Yeah, of course Annabeth. I'll let you get to it."

He exited, but not before hitting himself with the door on the way out. _What a dork,_ I thought, smiling to myself.  
________________________________________  
 _6:00,_ blinked the clock on my phone. I was determined to not miss him this time. Except now, _I_ wouldn't be the damsel in distress.

I watched from a bench by the pier as Riptide emerged, then followed him as he went through his heroic rounds. First I found him helping some flailing lady get her purse, then slaying some monster that terrorized some school kids and then helping a mother and child escape a burning building. He then proceeded to put out the fire himself without any assistance from the fire department, which was still on its way.

 _Gods_ , I thought to myself, _could this guy_ be _anymore noble_?

Finally, as it neared 10:00, Riptide began to walk off. He looked both ways before crossing the street, then headed towards a dimly lit alley. I couldn't let him disappear, not when I was so close.

I scanned the perimeter to make sure no one was watching, then dashed across the street from the tree I had been hiding behind (yes, a new low even for me). I ducked behind a garbage can and squinted into the alley, trying to let my eyes adjust to the new lighting. Riptide was nowhere in sight.

_Shit._

Just as I had nearly given up, a dark figure emerged from behind the dumpster. I nearly missed it; the darkness of the alleyway was so suffocating. With my eyes tracing his movement, I watched as he hopped onto one of the nearby fire escapes. He climbed with the agility of a gymnast, flipping and leaping from rung to rung before ducking into an open window and disappearing.

I frowned, then wandered behind the dumpster, where a familiar charred costume lay discarded underneath some trash bags. _Bingo_. Classic superhero move.

Now all I had to do was follow the guy that had emerged, and I was one step closer to Riptide. That meant braving the fire escapes. Mentally, I smacked myself for choosing such an ambitious article topic, but I was grateful for my years in sports and my newfound hobby of rock climbing, which were sure to help me out.

 _Jesus, this guy has a lot of upper body strength._ I grunted as I climbed deftly, eyes straining to see each rung on the ladders. When I finally reached my destination, I saw that I was looking into an apartment. There were pretty silver flowers growing on the windowsill that seemed to reflect the moonlight. Very mundane so far. After confirming that I was not followed, I slipped into the apartment as well.

This was too easy. I'd been expecting more, maybe like a giant fish tank that Riptide slept in, but to my dismay, it was just a normal apartment. Everything was (for the most part) neatly in place, except for some dirty dishes in the sink and a mug abandoned on the coffee table. 

_Something is off_. My senses went on high alert. _Where’s Riptide_?

I pressed up against the wall and walked towards the hallway to the left of the kitchen, keeping my footsteps as weightless as possible. I hoped I hadn’t stepped into a trap.

Just before I turned the corner, I bumped into something akin to a brick wall and fell on my butt.

"Who the hell are you?" growled a deep voice. My mind briefly registered the shink of a sword being leveled at my throat.

The lights in the apartment flicked on, dousing me in yellow light. I covered my eyes as I propped myself up from the floor. "Annabeth?"

My eyes widened and my heart stopped as I looked into sea green eyes. _Percy_? That couldn't be right. 

_No_. I began to put the pieces together, until it dawned on me. Percy, the new photographer, was Riptide.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Recap:**   
>  _My name is Annabeth Chase; I'm a journalist for the Half-Blood Times, and I'm well known around the world for my groundbreaking (others call them controversial) pieces. I was planning my next piece already._
> 
> _An interview with Riptide._
> 
> _His eyes flashed— I could've sworn they turned gold. After the food arrived and we began to eat, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong and I had only scratched the surface of it._
> 
> _"I'm Percy, but I'm sure you already know that now. I'm the new head photographer here. I'll be following you around on your articles and taking any photos you might need."_
> 
> _Percy? That couldn't be right. The realization dawned on me. Percy, the new photographer, was Riptide._

"How did you find me? Are you working with Kronos?" Percy stepped closer to me, a menacing look in his eyes. The sword remained inches away from skewering me.

Quickly, I scrambled to my feet. "Okay first off, you shouldn't scare people like that. Second off, you're not that hard to track. I thought your base would be cooler, but I guess to each their own. And third, who the hell is Kronos?"

Percy's eyes swirled like a raging sea as he tried to keep intimidating me, but he soon dropped his gaze.

" _I_ shouldn't scare people? Let me remind you that you are the one sneaking into my apartment at," Percy swiveled to check his microwave clock, "11:45 at night!" He smirked to himself. "If you wanted to jump me you should've done it while your shirt was off earlier."

My cheeks flushed red as I recalled this morning's incident. "Let me be clear Percy, I came for Riptide, not you," I snapped, pressing venom into my voice. "And I'm here because this is apparently the only way to get an audience with you."

A hint of hurt crept into Percy's eyes. "Well, Miss Chase, what could you possibly want at this ungodly hour?" His tone was biting with sarcasm.

Taken aback by the bitterness in Percy's voice, I recovered enough to reply smoothly, "I want an interview." I mulled over what I said, then added, "I want an interview, and I'll keep your secret identity a secret in exchange."

Percy looked furious, and I wondered if I made the right choice in practically blackmailing him to forward my career. Saying it in my head made me sound like a terrible person. It's for the greater good, I reassured myself.

"You do realize I could kill you right?" Percy arched a dark brow.

Silently, I pondered that, before settling on replying, "Security cameras will trace this alleyway as my last known location. You'd be discovered at some point. Not only that, but you'd also never do it. You don't have it in you."

Percy's voice was harsh when he spat out, "What kind of interview?"

I bit back a smile as I could tell he was seriously considering it now. "Nothing big. I just want to let people see the real you. I want to let people know even superheroes are human."

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone." Percy's voice was weary, as though he had aged a million years.

I nodded all too quickly, pulling out a pen and notepad.

"What do you want to know?"  
________________________________________  
The next morning, Percy sat in my plush office chair, awaiting further questions. There were bags under his eyes, presumably because I'd kept him up late last night asking questions.

Clicking "record" on my voice memos, I started.

"So, Percy," I ventured, clearing my throat, "you told me about Riptide yesterday. But I want you to tell me about yourself. Interests, hobbies?"

Percy glared at me, pursing his lips. "Why do you want to know?"

I sighed, staring into his sea green eyes pointedly. "Because, _Riptide_ ," Percy winced at his other name, "this whole interview is about getting to know the man behind the costume. Besides, that's the point of interviews. I ask, you answer."

Percy continued to glare at me suspiciously.

"Listen Percy, I promise I'm not trying to secretly learn everything about you and use it against you. Like I already told you last night, I'm writing this article so people realize superheroes are just normal people who happen to do good things." 

"Fine," Percy sniffed, still looking wary. I rolled my eyes in response. 

I could tell he was having a hard time trusting me. "Here," I proposed, "How about everytime I ask a question we both have to answer it? That way you're learning just as much about me as I am about you. _Capiche_?"

Percy nodded slowly. I felt like I was talking to a toddler. "Ok," I started. "Well, my name is Annabeth Chase. I am 24 years old, and my interests are reading and writing. That's why I became a journalist. Your turn. Interests?"

"I'm Percy Jackson, I'm also 24, and... I don't have many interests. Blue, I guess?" Percy's brows scrunched up, making him look more innocent.

I snorted. "Blue is a color, not an interest, but I suppose I could write that down."

Percy pouted. "No fair! You were just bombarding me with questions! And don't— don't put my name and age in there. _Please_."

"First of all, it was literally _one question_ , you dolt," I snarked, smirking up at him. Percy replied by making an indignant sound. "And second of all, of course I wouldn't put your name and age in there. What do you take me for, an amateur?"

I laughed and continued on with the interview. I found myself pleasantly surprised with what I'd learned. Percy's favorite color was blue, he loved swimming and his mom (whose name could not be revealed), and he was a Leo. He'd lived in New York his whole life; called it "his city," and he was passionate about marine life. He liked his coffee black, and he preferred showers in the morning, not at night, and he hated doing his laundry.

"Can I ask you something personal?" I inquired, leaning over my desk a little the way I did when I was trying to figure something out.

"Jeez, was all that not personal?" Percy retorted, glaring at me.

I scoffed and leaned back into my chair, but my cheeks still burned a little with embarrassment. Poor phrasing on my part.

"I don't need you to sass me right now," I replied coolly. "I just want to know. Why do you do it?"

Percy looked confused, so I amended my question. "Why did you choose to become Riptide?"

Percy's face smoothed out and became contemplative, and there was a pregnant pause before he spoke again. "I didn't _choose_ to become Riptide. I was born with these abilities, and to me, there's no question about what I should use them for. Because when the bad stuff happens, and you know you could have prevented it, then it's your fault."

Percy suddenly rose from his chair, clicking the stop button on my recording. "I think that's all for today, Miss Chase."

He left then, shutting the door behind him and leaving me dumbfounded.  
________________________________________  
Over the next couple of days, Percy and I continued our routine of me interviewing him and him answering all my questions, albeit hesitantly.

Oddly enough, I found myself looking forward to our daily sessions. He'd taken to bringing me a cup of coffee and some sort of breakfast food when he came, because he claimed he never saw me eat. I had to admit, he was growing on me. It felt like I knew him like the back of my hand, and if I had to be honest, I had never gotten on with anyone so easily before. We even had nicknames for each other: Wise Girl (me) and Seaweed Brain (him).

However, yesterday was our last day together. Today, I was going to run the article by our editor-in-chief, Chiron, and that would be that.

"Annabeth!" called out Chiron's assistant, Reyna. She was going to take over once he retired, which was soon.

"Thanks," I muttered, before standing up and entering Chiron's office. The file containing my printed article seemed to grow heavier in my hands with each step.

"Annabeth," Chiron greeted warmly, "I hear you have another groundbreaking article for me. Let's hear it."

I smiled nervously and wiped my clammy palms on the gray slacks I'd chosen to wear. "Well, it's an article about superheroes, as you know. I conducted a personal interview with Riptide, and learned quite a bit about him. That's my article."

Chiron raised a brow at the personal interview part. "Annabeth," he started, seeming uneasy.

I could feel my heart drop into my stomach. My articles had never been turned down before. "Chiron, please," I pleaded. "It's not doing any harm, and it's educational. People need to see that superheroes are real people just like us, trying to lead a normal life."

Chiron frowned, the crease in his brow deepening. "Annabeth, perhaps it's not doing harm to the public, but do you realize the personal risks of publishing this article? People could start to come after you for information about superheroes' identities."

I breathed deeply, collecting myself. I could still save this. "I know, but it's for the greater good. Isn't that what journalism's all about? Risking it all for a story that could benefit the people?"

Chiron shook his head at me and clucked his tongue. "Oh child, you really do have a way with words."

"You really don't know how much this means to me." I tried to pour all of my passion and desperation into that one statement.

"I think I really do," Chiron said in that knowing way of his. "But I cannot, in good mind, let you publish an article that would put you in danger like this. I'm sorry Annabeth, but you will just have to put this article to rest."

"But Chiron-" I argued. It was a feeble attempt; Chiron took one look at me and shook his head firmly. 

My mind was racing as I stepped out of Chiron's office, feeling numb all over. I'd never been rejected for an article before, and somehow I knew that this interview would be the one to change everything. It _had to be_ , otherwise all of my work had been for nothing. All the stakeouts, nearly dying, scaling a fire escape. It'd be reduced to meaningless shenanigans.

My brain raced, trying to find any sort of loophole around this. Perhaps I could go back and beg Chiron for another chance? No, he'd just give me the same answer over and over again. Maybe I could ask Piper to read it on air? No, I wouldn't want to risk her job; that'd be selfish.

Suddenly, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. There _was_ something, but it was risky, and a bit of a gamble. But was it worth it?

Absolutely.  
________________________________________  
I got the call when I was wandering around my kitchen, trying to find something to eat for lunch. It was terribly boring, being trapped in my apartment all day as I waited for the buzz from my article to settle down.

Three years ago, I'd had one of my articles leaked by Travis and Connor Stoll, two annoying, pain-in-my-ass brothers who were popular because they always managed to be on top of anything "hot." Eventually, I'd gotten them to stop bothering me through some... creative methods (definitely _not_ storming into their office and threatening to chop their balls off), and I believed that was that. Imagine their surprise when _I_ came to _them_ , asking them to "leak" my article for me. They, of course, happily obliged.

Chiron was furious at first, and wouldn't talk to me for weeks. I thought I'd be fired, but he assured me I was too valuable for him to do that. He got his payback by putting me on leave. Besides, there was no real proof that I'd been the one to tip the Stolls off about my article. Anyhow, the article had its intended effect; people began to open up the floor for discussion on superheroes, and there were less negative headlines about Riptide destroying the city to disrupt robberies and disarm bombs.

"Hello?" I asked, cramming the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I continued to rummage through my fridge.

"Annabeth," came Percy's frantic voice on the other line.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Listen to me very carefully." Percy spoke slowly, his voice dropping to a low, nearly inaudible range. I closed my fridge and stood up straight. It was unusual for Percy to be this serious; it was worrying me.

"Percy, what's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Annabeth," Percy repeated, his breathing speeding up. I could hear him swallow thickly on the other end. "I'm on my way, but get out of your apartment, now. Don't ask any questions, just go. I'll be there soon, I promise."

Fear gripped my heart as I realized something was seriously wrong. "Percy, you're not making any sense. Why do I need to leave?"

"Hey, what did I say about asking questions?" Percy's voice was teasing, but the undertone of fear was still there.

"Just trust me. You need to leave, _now_ ," Percy's voice was growing more and more desperate with every word.

"Okay, okay, just let me put on some shoes," I mumbled, starting to feel like I was in a daze.

"No time, Wise Girl," Percy panted. He seemed like he was running. Then, " _ANNABETH_!"

I turned just in time to see a bright flash of light come through my window, then everything turned black as I was flung into my kitchen cabinets.  
________________________________________  
When I came to, there was a loud ringing pounding away in my ears. What on Earth had happened?

The first thing I registered was the dust in my mouth. The next thing I registered was green, and someone shaking me.

Percy. He was screaming in my ear, but all I could make out was a sharp ringing in my ear and something sticky sliding down my temple. I felt like I didn't have any control over my own body.

Suddenly, everything came into focus. There was a loud creaking sound, like my apartment was moaning, and I could feel the cold linoleum of my kitchen floor underneath my back.

"Annabeth, come on, get up! Annabeth, _please_. You gotta get up."

I tried, but my body felt like it was suddenly filled with concrete. My head lolled around uselessly while my tongue remained thick in my mouth. Suddenly, I was leaving the floor and in the air. There were arms around me, and the last thing I heard was, "It's gonna be okay, Annabeth."  
________________________________________  
I gasped sharply as I jolted up in bed. Sighing, I dragged a hand down my face and reached for my phone. My fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as I automatically dialed Percy's number.

"Hello?"

"Percy," I breathed, relieved. "I had the strangest dre-"

The door squeaked open, revealing a somber Percy with his phone pressed against his ear. Confused, I looked around me. This was not my bedroom. The sheets were white, not gray, and the walls were blue, not white.

A choking sensation seized me. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" I whispered.

Percy came around the doorframe, setting his phone down on his dresser as I began to sob. "I'm so sorry Annabeth. I- I never should have agreed to that interview."

"No, it's not your fault," I croaked. "I should have listened to Chiron. This never would have happened if-"

Percy shushed me, tipping my chin up with his fingers so I could meet his eyes. "It's not your fault. You didn't blow up your apartment, Kronos did."

Horror dawned on me. "Kronos?" I repeated, confused. Then another wave of shock washed over me again.

"My apartment," I whispered, "All of my things. H-how am I supposed to pay for those damages? I don't even have a place to stay; my closest relatives are in San Francisco. I suppose I could-"

"Annabeth," Percy interjected. "I already called Piper and explained everything, and she said you're more than welcome to stay with her for as long as you need." 

"Percy," I gasped, as horror dawned on me. "She knows-"

"It's fine, Annabeth, really," Percy interjected. Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "And, you know... you're always welcome to lay low here too."

Percy glanced away shyly. Just as I was about to reply, Percy cleared his throat to talk again.

"I spoke to your landlord too. He said not to worry about the damages, since it really wasn't your fault. He said he'll figure it out and that he'll call you when your apartment is repaired."

It wasn't until Percy called my name again that I realized I've been staring blankly at the wall ahead of me. There was a patchy spot of paint, where the creamy color of the original wall peeked through. I could tell Percy had painted it himself.

"Annabeth."

"Can I— can I just..." I broke off, unable to finish my sentence without choking on a fresh wave of tears.

Percy frowned, using one of his large hands to smooth my hair back from my face. "I'll make you some tea for your concussion," he sighed, sounding defeated. I could tell he was still blaming himself.

"How long?" I croaked, using all my strength to turn my head towards him. "How long have I been out?"

Percy pursed his lips. "Just a day, Beth."

I could do nothing but nod, staring at the wall even after he left. My mind was running at 100 miles a minute while simultaneously processing nothing, which was quite possibly the most frustrating thing in the world.

But the question that was really floating around in the back of my mind was: just how much danger was I in?  
________________________________________  
It took a couple days for things to settle down, and by that I meant it took a couple days for me to stop staring blankly at the wall and process what had happened.

It was at that point that I finally forced Percy to open about what the hell was going on, and he connected all the dots I hadn't seen before.

There was no exact timeline, but Percy explained that he had a rival, Kronos, who was determined to start the world over on a blank slate, with him sitting on a throne. Unfortunately for us, he'd chosen the island of Manhattan to start his movement. Everything suddenly made sense; the petty robberies that evolved into acts of terrorism, the sudden emergance of Riptide to put an end to everything.

"How long have you-"

"About two years," Percy sighed, slumping over with defeat. He dragged a hand over his face, his movements tense and jerky as he confessed, "I don't know when he'll make the final stand."

His gaze was intense as he muttered, "But I will do everything in my power to defend my city."

He seemed so determined, so passionate, I couldn't help but look away. "And Kronos," I said, my speech slow, "he's after me now?"

As soon as the words left my lips, I regretted it. The look of guilt that covered Percy's face was one I'd never want to see again, much less cause.

"Yes," he whispered, frowning deeply, his forehead creasing. "I dragged you into my world without thinking of the consequences, and now your life is in danger."

I mulled it over, and while he was technically not wrong, he definitely wasn't right either. "No Percy, this was entirely my choice. I knew the risks of pursuing my story and publishing it, and even though being nearly killed was traumatic as hell, there's nothing I would do differently. It was all worth it."

The grateful look Percy sent me as I reflected on the events of the past week really did make it all worth it. I was _definitely_ in trouble.  
________________________________________  
I ended up staying with Percy, because if anything more dramatic happened, I didn't want to put Piper in harm's way, and Percy was more than capable of taking care of himself... and me (not that I needed a man to protect me).

Staying with Percy was definitely... an experience. First of all, his bed was insanely plush and comfortable, with it's fluffy pillows and miles upon miles of blankets and quilts. He'd been letting me sleep in his bed, insisting that it'd be rude to make me take the couch when I was his guest (I scoffed at that. More like _intruder_ ) and taking it upon himself to set up camp in his living room. Second of all, I'd come to learn that Percy made incredible pancakes. Like, orgasm-inducing, world peace-creating pancakes, no matter how excessively blue they were. Percy was actually just... a great cook in general, concocting different dishes every night- from lasagnas to lavish cakes to ribeye steaks. 

Perhaps the most startling discovery I'd made in my time with Percy so far was that he might be growing on me. Dangerously so. At night, as I curled up in his too-large-for-just-one-person bed all alone, I found myself reaching for another body beside mine and craving the warmth of a certain Seaweed Brained superhero. And as my landlord called me weekly to give me updates on the repairs of my apartment, I found myself less and less attracted to the idea of leaving Percy's behind.

Interestingly enough though, Percy was avoiding me. He took his morning showers before I woke up, then ducked away to the Half-Blood Times immediately after getting dressed, not even bothering to eat breakfast or stop by for a "good morning." I wondered what the cause was for the sudden shift in behavior, and one morning, as I sat up in Percy's lush bed, I figured I'd had enough.

I was technically on paid leave, so I started my day by hauling myself out of bed and into the grocery store. I had a plan, and there was no way Percy would evade me now.  
________________________________________  
"Hello." I greeted Percy at the door, my voice steeled into a tone that betrayed no emotions. Hopefully my face conveyed the same.

I knew I got him from the way his eyes widened almost imperceptibly, then shifted into discomfort.

"Hey," he mumbled, facing his back to me as he turned to hang his coat and scarf on the coat rack next to the door.

"Come. Sit." I made sure my voice left no room for arguments.

I tried my best with the dinner; it was carbonara with garlic bread and some red wine I dug up from Percy's cabinets (hopefully he didn't mind). The table was set with some lit candles, hopefully giving off a "it's not romantic but it could be and we need to talk but let me say my piece first because I've rehearsed my speech in my head all day while you were gone at work avoiding me you asshole" vibes (you could say I was a bit miffed).

Percy cleared his throat nervously. "What's the occasion?" he asked, sitting down in the chair like I had rigged it with explosives.

"You avoiding me, you jerk," I replied snarkily. I face-palmed mentally. This was already not going the way I had planned (i.e. I scream and Percy kisses me and we live happily ever after).

Percy choked on air, his face turning beet red. He took a sip of his wine, grimacing as it slid down his throat. "What- what are you talking about?"

"Don't patronize me," I snarled, leaving space between each word. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You shower earlier, you leave for work before I even wake up, you stay extra late at the office, and you sneak in after I've turned in for the night. This is _your_ apartment, Percy, so why do I feel like I live here more than you do?"

I cocked my head at him, daring him to stutter up some lame excuse.

To my astonishment, he hung his head, yanking the front ends of his hair with his hands. When he looked back up at me, his eyes held a shattered look to them. It still didn't prepare me for what he said next, though.

"Because I think I'm falling in love with you Annabeth." His voice was weary, in the same way it was when I first asked him for an interview.

Now it was my turn to choke on air. It felt like someone had sucker punched my gut, leaving me with a racing heart and not enough air to function properly.

When I didn't reply, Percy seemed to take it as a sign to keep going. "I leave for work earlier now because I can't stand the way all the air is knocked out of me when I see you sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee and looking angelic without even trying. I sneak in after you've gone to sleep because I can't handle the sight of you with your hair in a braid and dressed up in pajamas that should make you look like a hobo but really make you look adorable as hell. I stay late at work because I'm editing pictures of random shit I see around town and trying to resist the itch to photograph everything you do and show the world how truly beautiful you are doing the most mundane things. I've been avoiding you because I am hopelessly, irreversibly in love with you, Annabeth Chase, and I hate that I could never have you without putting your life in danger. I'd rather live with you at a distance than live without you at all."

The shadows cast on Percy's face by the candles made his features look so long and weary, like he had been walking for thousands of years with no rest. The pain in his eyes was so raw, and the conviction in his voice did me in. I couldn't seem to find my voice, so I got up from my chair, my carefully crafted dinner untouched and long forgotten, and crossed the kitchen to reach him in two swift strides.

Carefully, I looped my arms around my neck and placed my legs on either side of his hips, so I was straddling him in the chair. I nosed at his cheek, forcing him to meet my gaze.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" I asked, tracing the swell of his cheek with my index finger.

Percy shuddered underneath me, his fingers splayed over my hips and gripping hard. "Do what?"

"You dig a hole for yourself," I answered, marvelling over the shadows his long lashes cast over his tanned cheeks. "I know you want this as badly as I do. Why are you holding back?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he answered, his voice wavering. My heart warmed. He wanted this. He wanted _me_.

I poured all of my emotions into my voice as I measured my next words cautiously.

"I'm all in Seaweed Brain. The drama, the danger, the hurt, we'll deal with it when it happens. I want all of it. I want _you_."

Something shifted in his sea green eyes as I spoke, and when I looked into them again, my heart skipped a beat as I could see the love he held for me, displayed so clearly and openly.

I leaned in slowly, fluttering my eyes closed as he met me halfway. My heart thudded, my stomach fluttered, and my bones melted as I molded my lips to Percy's. He tasted sweet, like honey and mangoes and chocolate and everything that should not have tasted so good against my lips but did anyways. 

"I'm yours, I'm yours, I'm yours," he whispered in between kisses. I repeated it back to him earnestly.

Everything we had gone through was so worth it to have this. This sacred thing, for only me and him. Wise Girl and Seaweed Brain, living happily ever after.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Recap:**   
>  _Percy shushed me, tipping my chin up with his fingers so I could meet his eyes. "It's not your fault. You didn't blow up your apartment, Kronos did."_   
>  _"I don't know when he'll make the final stand."_
> 
> _Percy's gaze was intense as he muttered, "But I will do everything in my power to defend my city."_
> 
> _He wanted this. He wanted_ me.
> 
> _"I'm all in Seaweed Brain. The drama, the danger, the risk, we'll deal with it when it happens. I want all of it. I want_ you." _I leaned in slowly, fluttering my eyes closed as he met me halfway._
> 
> _"I'm yours, I'm yours, I'm yours," he whispered in between kisses. I repeated it back to him earnestly._
> 
> _Everything we had gone through was so worth it to have this. This sacred thing, for only me and him. Wise Girl and Seaweed Brain, living happily ever after._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: Brief mentions of domestic violence**

"Good morning!"

I groaned as I rolled from my side onto my back, squeezing my eyes shut against the sudden onslaught of yellow light flooding my room. The distinct smell of waffles wafted through the air, and coupled with the cheery voice, I knew immediately who it was without even opening my eyes. I'd always know him.

"What the _fuck_ , Percy," I moaned, splaying a forearm over my eyes to further block out the light. "How did you even get in here?"

"You gave me a key yesterday, silly," he quipped, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Frowning, I cracked open an eye at him, squinting. "I said that was for emergencies, Seaweed Brain."

Percy, for his part, just smiled even brighter at me. "Yeah, and this one was _dire_."

I allowed my gaze to stray to the tray he was holding. There was a vase of sunflowers- my favorite- aside a plate of steaming blue waffles (also my favorite) topped with a dollop of whipped cream, a bowl of fresh berries, and a cup of coffee to finish it all off. I was trying really hard to act pissed, but really, my heart warmed at the thought of Percy working to bring me breakfast in bed.

"Oh really?" I questioned, deciding to indulge him.

Percy nodded like a toddler hyped up on Halloween candy. "Yup," he replied, smiling that adorable smile of his. "Happy one year anniversary Wise Girl."

I grabbed my phone off my bedside stand, checking the date. Sure enough, it was August 18th. A lot had changed in a year.

To back it up, Percy and I hadn't _officially_ started dating after the kiss in his apartment. We'd decided to wait it out a little bit- testing the waters, you could say- until finally, Percy's birthday had rolled along about a week later.

" _So, what'd you wish for, Seaweed Brain?"_

__

_Percy contemplated the question for a second, staring at the blue, brick-like cupcake I'd made him like it held the answer. Then, he looked up at me and smiled softly._

__

_"You."_

It'd been the talk of the office for weeks afterward, which made returning to work a bit awkward. Piper, of course, was absolutely livid that she wasn't the first person to find out, but I got back at her when I walked in on her and Jason in a pretty intense makeout session in the copy room ( _"I_ knew _you guys were boning_!" " _Shut_ up _Annabeth_."). Apparently that had been going on for _six months_ ; they were engaged now, and both of them were aware of Percy's alter ego as Riptide. 

I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face. 

"Happy birthday Seaweed Brain. Here's to many more," I returned, unable to stem the happiness in my voice. How could I? My life had been pretty great so far. I had a great job, a great apartment, and an even greater boyfriend- who _just so happened_ to be a superhero on the side.

"You're so corny, Beth," Percy teased, but I could tell he secretly delighted in my declarations of love.

I raised a brow at him, a smirk playing on my lips. My voice slipped into a huskier tone as I shot back, "Call me corny again and you won't be getting your gift, birthday boy." 

Percy choked, blushing furiously and fumbling with the tray in his hands. "Um-ah w-what's my gift?" he stammered. Gods, he was easy.

His eyebrows shot to the high heavens when I swept my comforter aside, revealing what I'd gone to sleep in.

"Hope you've got your birthday suit on."

Percy scrambled to set the tray down on my bedside table, settling over me in milliseconds and kissing me deeply.

"You naughty, naughty girl," Percy remarked, chucking as he nipped at my neck. "Happy birthday to me indeed."

"Happy birthday," I repeated, looking into his eyes briefly before smothering my smile with his kiss. I'd never get tired of this.  
________________________________________  
I propped my phone up between the crook of my shoulder and cheek as I wandered around my apartment in search of my heels. "Are you on your way?"

Percy had taken the liberty of getting reservations for us at a Greek restaurant in town, _Demeter's_ , to celebrate his birthday and our anniversary, but since he needed to stay later at the office tonight for some last minute retouches on his photos before publication, I headed home early to get ready and agreed to meet him there. 

"Yeah, I'm on my way. Are you?" Percy's voice was faint on the other end of his line, and there was some sort of screeching sound in the back, like a car crash.

Finally, I found my strappy heels, slipping them on and stopping at my door side mirror to check my appearance one more time. I'd gone light on the makeup; just mascara and some red lipstick, and I filled in my eyebrows. Hesitating first, I decided to hoist up the straps of my black dress; the girls were out a little too much for my taste. If I had to be honest, the dress wasn't really my taste at all; I'd gotten it at Piper's request, since she swore that I looked amazing in it. It was a knee-length, asymmetrical thing with a low back that began around my mid-torso and had two thin straps on each shoulder, two of which criss-crossed behind my shoulders. Luckily for me, my hair was down in loose curls, so it covered most of my bare back.

"Yup," I replied, reaching for a coat to keep me warm before I stepped out of my apartment. "Are you okay? It sounds like someone had an accident."

There was a pause before Percy answered. "Yeah, I'm just stuck in traffic, and it's next to construction, so it's a little loud over here. I'll be there in about ten minutes though, give or take. I love you!"

The call ended before I could even say it back.

Two glasses of wine, several breadsticks, and definitely _not_ ten minutes later, Percy swept into the restaurant, panting. His sea green eyes scanned the restaurant until they landed on me, and it gave me some satisfaction to see his eyes bug out of his skull as he took in my appearance.

"You're late," I said, each word clipped. 

Percy smiled apologetically, leaning down to kiss my cheek. "You look beautiful, Wise Girl."

"You don't look too bad yourself." I stopped him in his place with a soft, yet deliberate kiss to his neck, before hissing, "Where have you been? You smell like smoke."

Percy drew back, his eyes wide as I took a slow sip of my wine. "The uh, c-cab driver likes to- _ahem_ \- smoke?"

I narrowed my eyes as him as I stretched my manicured fingers to pluck a splinter from his suit jacket. "And Kronos? He likes to make my boyfriend late for our anniversary date, right?"

Percy crumbled at that. "I'm so sorry, Annabeth. I swear, I was-"

I put my hand up in a stop signal. "Save it Percy." 

He sighed heavily, plopping himself down across from me at the table. He struggled to meet my eyes as the waiter approached our table, seeming relieved that my date was finally here.

"Are you guys ready to order?" he asked, pulling out his notepad.

I maintained eye contact with Percy as I replied, "Actually, I think we'll take our meals to go," not missing the disappointed look that covered his face.  
________________________________________  
"Annabeth, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry before you talk-"

I whirled around as he shut the door to my apartment behind him, stopping him in his tracks as he took in my bloodshot eyes and the tears tracing their way down my cheek.

"You want me to talk?" I spat out.

"Annabeth," he started, taking a step towards me. I took a step back.

"Do you even know how _embarrassing_ that was for me?" 

Percy bit his lip guiltily.

"I waited, for _an hour_ , you jerk!" Percy recoiled as though I'd physically slapped him. "Would it have been so hard to just call me and say ' _oh hey babe, I'm getting attacked by an evil supervillain so why don't you leave a little later so the waiter doesn't have to pass your table repeatedly with his 'I feel bad for you' eyes_?'"

"I just didn't want you to worry about me on our anniversary," Percy mumbled feebly.

It didn't help though; I threw my hands up in the air exasperatedly and exclaimed, "Of course I worry about you!" My voice seemed to get more shrill as I continued my rant. "You're my _boyfriend_ , and not only that, you're a freaking _superhero_! Being constantly monitored by a supervillain we know nothing about who blew up my apartment and sends his goons after you almost every day!" 

My voice dropped to a low whisper as I said, "Do you know how many times I've prayed to whoever's up there that you're still alive at the end of the day?"

I collapsed into a fit of tears after that, unable to keep my heart from beating as quickly as it was right now. The pent up paranoia and worry from tonight took its toll, washing over me in waves. It took all of two seconds for Percy to wrap me in his arms, pressing kisses to my hair and wiping my tears with his thumbs.

"Hey," he coaxed, tilting my head up to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I'm sorry I ruined our anniversary dinner and missed the birthday celebration that _I_ reserved."

I nestled my head into the crook of his shoulder, pressing my nose there to take in his scent. My heart rate finally began to slow down. He was here, he was safe, and I had nothing to worry about. 

"I thought you were dead," I whispered, my voice cracking.

Percy drew back to look me in the eyes, guilt etched into his features. He took my hand gingerly, placing it right at his heart. "I'm okay. I'm right here, Wise Girl. Can't get rid of me _that_ easily."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that as my breathing slowed into a more relaxed pattern. "It's okay," I sniffled, burrowing my head into his neck again, taking in the scent of his cologne. "I knew the risks, and I said I'd deal with it. I guess we're dealing with it."

"Whatever you need me to do to make it up to you and earn back your trust, I'll do it," Percy promised, his voice turning serious again.

An idea popped into my head. " _Anything_?"

"Anything," he confirmed, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. I smirked. This was going to be good.

It's safe to say, that argument was put behind us when he showed up to work on Monday, fully decked out in my work clothes and a pair of stilettos. He'd even done his own makeup (and it did _not_ look good).

Piper cackled and Jason blushed bright red as everyone gathered around to take pictures while he posed ridiculously. I giggled behind my hand as I watched the scene unfold from the doorway of my private office. Percy winked at me flirtatiously, making me shake my head at his antics. But it did little to soothe the ache in my chest that screamed: _something is coming_.  
________________________________________  
I bopped my head along to the beat of Queen as I painted my nails a pretty robin's egg blue Piper had gifted me. I scrutinized my fingers as I held my hand out in front of me, then nodded, satisfied with the glossy finish. I'd already painted my toes the same color, wiggling them as I waited for my right hand to dry.

I lip synced along to Freddie Mercury as I danced around my bedroom. "Don't. Stop. Me nooooow. Don't. Stop. Me— cause I'm havin' a good time, havin' a good ti-"

I stopped cold as there was the sound of shattering glass, then a loud _thump_ in my living room. I was home alone, on a rare Friday off (i.e. Chiron had basically pried me from my office chair), pampering myself in my bedroom. Which meant strange sounds from my living room were not on the menu for tonight.

I glanced at the coral pendant Percy gifted me for my birthday last year, sitting idly on my vanity. It had a silent alarm that could be tripped with my fingerprint, alerting him to any danger I could be in. It was for emergencies only.

I shook my head. I could handle this. My right hand was still in the jelly-like stage of drying, so I reached under my pillow, pulling out my prized dagger and adjusting the grip in my non-dominant hand. Not even an intruder could mess with my manicure.

Flattening myself against the wall, I balanced myself on my tiptoes as I crept along my hallway, keeping my steps light and imperceptible. I poked my head around the corner of the wall as I reached the end of the hallway, trying to get a sense of what I was up against. 

It was dark, but I could see some shadows, illuminated by the lamp next to my couch. It seemed whoever had made that thumping sound had also turned on my light. Then my eyes fell on a lump on my couch. There was a raspy breathing sound coming from it.

"Ann- Anna," it wheezed.

I stepped fully into the light now, hurriedly switching my kitchen lights on for more light. I'd know that voice anywhere.

"Percy!" I gasped, rushing towards him.

He hissed, his face contorting in pain, but he held out a trembling hand, stopping me. He gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head, jerking his head towards the window. I froze again, realizing what he was trying to convey. Something was watching us.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I clicked the lights off, plunging us into darkness, then slunk over to the window, trying not to whimper at the jagged edge. That would be a bitch to repair.

"Wheeeeeere are yooooooou," hissed a feminine voice. "I know you're innn theeeeeere, Riiiiiiptide. Yooooou cannot hide from meeeeeee."

I took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. _CLANG_. Out of the night shadows emerged a hideous woman, snakes writhing around in her hair. No, I realized, the snakes are her hair.

She roamed around on my fire escape for a bit, her nose upturned towards the sky. "I smell yooooou, young hero."

It was at the moment I decided to make myself known. "I don't know who you are, but _get. off. my. fire escape bitch_ ," I snarled. Without preamble, I plunged the knife deep into her chest, dissolving her into golden dust and a shrill scream. I watched the gold dust float to the ground, trying to stem the panic attack I could feel coming on. I had more pressing concerns at the moment.

I drew my curtains, effectively blocking anyone from seeing Riptide was in my apartment, and stepped over the shards of glass littering my floor as I flicked the lights back on and made my way towards Percy, whose breathing had grown more shallow.

"Percy," I breathed, kneeling at his side. There were three long gashes over his torso, dribbling blood onto Percy's arm, where he'd thrown it over in a vain attempt to soak up the blood. The turquoise fabric was drenched, the smell of iron lingering everywhere.

"Let me see," I said, my voice wavering as I prodded his arm lightly.

He released a strained groan as he pried his arm away with difficulty, some dried blood binding his skin to the fabric. I sighed with relief as I took in the full extent of his injuries. Thankfully, the cuts didn't seem too deep, but I would probably still have to stitch them up. 

Breathing out shakily, I pressed Percy's hair back from his forehead, matted there with sweat. He was burning up; I'd have to work quickly, lest he catch an infection. I hobbled off towards my bathroom, to retrieve the kit I kept specifically for times like this. Yeah, this wasn't the first time this had happened. Thankfully, I'd called in a no-questions-asked favor from my friend Will, who was a surgeon, and he'd been able to teach me the ins and outs of suturing and treating wounds.

"You painted your nails," Percy noted weakly, taking my hand as I sat beside him on the couch.

" _You_ scared me half to death," I replied pointedly. I squeezed his hand. "Hold on tight."

Percy hissed as I flushed out his wound with some saline solution, muffling his occasional moan in a throw pillow when I began my stitches.

"Got me... pretty good...huh?" Even when he was struggling to catch his breath, he managed to be a pain in my ass.

"Piper's going to kill you," I answered instead, trying to ignore the pang in my heart. "This will be the second suit she's had to stitch up this _week_."

Percy grimaced at the thought of having to face Piper's wrath once more. 

Not too long after Piper discovered Percy's secret, she'd complained endlessly that his suit was "unoriginal" and "so lame." It took her two weeks to design and complete a new suit for him, and even Percy had to admit- it was pretty great. The top half of his suit now consisted of a shimmery, waterproof turquoise fabric, woven to look like metallic scales stacked on top of one another. Piper had embroidered a golden R encircled by a gold ring with a trident going through the middle into the sides of both sleeves near the shoulders (which of course, Percy had objected to. " _I'm not_ Aquaman _Piper!" "Shut up_ Water Boy, _it looked cool_."). The media ate it up immediately, turning the golden R into the new Riptide insignia.

The bottom half of the suit, on the other hand, had been cut from the same material as the top, dyed black, and had built in soles to function like shoes (" _These are_ moots _Piper_." " _What the hell are moots Percy?" "Man boots. You're just trying to make me look like Aquaman." "Can you shut up and take the damn gift?" "...Will you admit Aquaman was your inspiration_?" "Argh!"). The new fabric was much more breathable and allowed for more movement than Percy's old suit had, and Piper had even taken the liberty of sewing discreet pockets in the sleeves and pants, designed to hide small knives and of course, Percy's sword, which could turn into a pen and had been magically gifted with the ability to reappear in his pocket at all times. Since it was so lightweight, Percy could wear it under all his clothes with no issues, and it could be folded small enough to take on the shape of a pocket square and stuffed into the pockets of his blazers and suit jackets. Perhaps the best part of it though, was the fact that Piper had some connections with some magically gifted girl named Lou Ellen (it seemed I didn't know as much about my friend as I thought I did), who had enchanted the suit with something called Mist that changed the appearance of Percy's face, making it more convenient for him to go on patrol during the day and not have his secret identity revealed. 

(Well, actually the best part of the suit may have been the fact that it was skin tight...but I was never going to let Piper know that.)

Piper, god bless her, had made a couple duplicates of the suit, should one ever get destroyed, but she obviously hadn't been anticipating the trouble that seemed to follow Percy everywhere, so she'd recently resorted to just repairing minor damage sustained by Percy's suits instead of replacing each one. I was thankful to have another person looking out for Percy.

I breathed out in relief as I finished the last stitch, reaching into my kit for some gauze to dress Percy's wounds. He caught my hand just as I hovered over his chest, and I snapped out of whatever mode I'd gone into to realize I was shaking all over.

"Thank you," Percy said, his eyes sincere as he pressed a soft kiss into my palm. 

My breath hitched in my throat as I felt a panicked sob breaking through my chest. I didn't try to stop him as he pulled me into his side, finally letting the anxiety I'd been keeping at bay crash over me. Percy smoothed my hair down with a gentle hand and pressed kisses into my temple, muttering sweet nothings as I let all my stress out in the form of tears.

Nevertheless, I tried not to feel too sorry for myself; after all, I knew the risks.  
________________________________________  
"Knock, knoooock," a deep voice sing-songed.

I jumped in my seat a little, looking up from the article I was proofreading, only to be greeted by Luke lingering in my doorway with a bouquet of flowers in hand. 

"Luke," I said dumbly. I hadn't seen much of him in the past couple of months; he'd gone MIA for a bit when I started dating Percy, but the last I'd heard, his company was doing well. I cleared my throat, feeling awkward; it didn't help that Kronos' attacks on Riptide had been increasing since Percy's birthday dinner and putting me on edge in the recent weeks. Luke's presence was far from unwelcome, but I was definitely unprepared to be seeing him again. "W-what brings you here?"

"Can't see my favorite girl for no reason?" he countered, spreading his arms out lazily. I watched, eagle-eyed, as a lavender fell from the bouquet. 

"Luke, seriously," I sighed, getting up to usher him into my office and into a chair. I accepted the flowers graciously, shutting the door behind him. "I haven't heard from you in well over 3 months, and all of a sudden you show up at my workplace, claiming you want to see me and pretending you haven't been ignoring my phone calls and texts." I stared at him pointedly.

For once, Luke looked ashamed, and even... _scared_? He sighed heavily, like he'd been carrying the weight of the world for eternity, scrubbing a calloused hand over his face. _It's wrapped in bandages_ , I noted. 

"Annie, I need your help."

I straightened up in my seat at that, my mind whirring. He needed my help? For what? Had he gotten himself into some trouble while he'd been avoiding me? Was this gang related? Was-

"I want you to run away with me."

That... was definitely not what I was expecting him to say. "I-I'm sorry?"

Luke just looked at me, a solemn expression covering his face. "I want you to run away with me."

"I-" I struggled to find words, my brain barely being able to wrap itself around what he was saying. "Luke..."

He shook his head violently. "I'm dead serious Annabeth. I- something bad is coming... I'll become a stepping stone. I'm supposed to go on a work trip next week." He said it as if his jumbled phrases were supposed to be related. 

"We can go somewhere far away, like you always wanted! It's my last chance, Annie." His eyes were hopeful, and it shocked me to realize he was being genuine. He thought I'd actually say yes.

"Last cha— are you even hearing yourself? You're speaking nonsense!" I stared at Luke incredulously. "We're not kids anymore, Luke. I can't just— pack up and run away! I have a life here: my job, an apartment, my boy-" I stopped myself.

A dark look passed over Luke's face, and something briefly glinted gold. "I see," he said, his voice measured and steady. It was as if all the panic he'd been exhibiting just seconds ago had completely receded.

There was a shrill _screech_ as Luke stood jerkily. I walked him to the door, but just before he left, he turned halfway over his shoulder, donning a cruel and mocking smile. I took a startled step backwards, feeling frozen in place. "Have fun with the boy, Annabeth." 

Then he was gone, just like that, leaving me to ponder the meaning of his words. I didn't like the way they suggested my time with Percy was limited.

"Annabeth!" Percy appeared out of nowhere, two coffee cups in hand. He looked back as Luke brushed past him, catching his shoulder. Percy frowned a little, something he didn't do often. "What was that all about?"

I didn't have any time to answer though, because before I knew it, everything in my office was being soaked by sprinklers.

Percy hopped into action immediately, setting the coffee cups down on the hallways floor and pushing past me into my office, sweeping papers off my desk and drying them with his powers. 

"C'mon Wise Girl, we gotta get your stuff out of here before it gets ruined."

I didn't budge from my spot though, my eyes fixated on the chair Luke was just sitting in. It was smoking, a charred black hole in the plush fabric. Some melted silver was dripping down the side of one of the metal legs.

_What the hell_?  
________________________________________  
I pursed my lips at my office phone as it rang suddenly. As far as I was concerned, I had no appointments with anyone today, so it seemed pretty out of the blue to be getting a call all of a sudden.

_Hmmm, I don't know this area code_. I picked up anyway, not wanting to take the chance that it might be important.

"Hello, Miss Chase speaking," I answered.

"Annabeth." It was Thalia on the other end, but something was... off. 

In all my years knowing Thalia, she was many things: rebellious, headstrong, and a bit arrogant, but she was never, _ever_ scared. I could barely recognize the person talking to me.

I was so taken aback by the fearful undertones in her voice I hadn't even registered that she'd been speaking to me for a whole two minutes already.

"Annabeth? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here Thals," I responded, shaking my head to clear my thoughts and still my beating heart. "Are you okay? You sound... scared."

Normally Thalia would've scoffed and said something incredibly cocky, like "oh please, I'll be scared when pigs fly," but it seemed the surprises today just wouldn't stop, because she simply swallowed thickly.

"Thalia, you're scaring me."

"Annabeth," she repeated. Her voice sounded choked up. "Don't- whatever you do, _stay away from Luke_."

Out of all the things to be troubling her, that was definitely on the bottom of my list of things to be concerned about.

"Luke? What about Luke?" I questioned, confused. It seemed like she'd been taking the breakup fairly well.

"Haven't you noticed his behavior? What did he tell you about why we broke up Annabeth?"

It was that that brought me out of my confusion, and the gears began turning in my head. "He- he said you betrayed him."

There was a pause, and then Thalia started up again, that grave tone still in her voice. "Don't believe anything he says. Listen to me Annabeth." Her voice was deadly serious, so I did as she said.

"There's something wrong with him. I don't know what it is or when it started, but I began waking up in the middle of the night to him looking at me. He didn't do anything, just stared at me as I slept. It was creepy, obviously, but that wasn't what bothered me." 

There was a shaky inhale of breath before she continued. "His eyes were _gold_ , Annabeth."

My body went cold, and immediately, I remembered when Luke took me out for lunch that one time, and his voice turned cold at the mention of Thalia. And his eyes... I knew what I'd seen was real. 

"What did you do?" I whispered, shutting my eyes.

Thalia didn't speak for a while, and that was how I knew there was more to the breakup than either of them were letting on.

My voice shook, growing hysterical. “Thalia what did you do?”

"I-I tried to kill him."

I couldn't help the strangled gasp that escaped me.

"You don't understand, Annabeth!" Thalia's voice grew needy. "It only escalated from there. He'd start talking to himself, saying all this bullcrap about an uprising, and a final stand, and Riptide. He was having one of his moment. I told him he was delusional and threw a glass bottle at his head so he _choked me_ , Annabeth. Full on, both hands around my throat, lifting me in the air and everything. And then all of a sudden his eyes were blue again, and he was acting like nothing had happened. I left that night and never went back, but not before I grabbed a knife and held it over his heart. He woke up and did that blank staring thing he'd been doing, and his eyes were gold again, so I booked it the hell out of there and never went back. I'm telling you, _stay away from him_ Annabeth. Please."

My head was spinning, trying desperately to process everything Thalia had just said and trying to see where it fit in with the one sentence version Luke had given me.

"I-I will. I'll call you back, Thals," I mumbled, placing the phone back on the receiver and leaning back in my chair heavily. My mind was weaving theories, piecing together evidence and facts as I tried to come to terms with my worst nightmare. The strange behavior, the gold eyes at the restaurant, the lack of support after my apartment blew up, and... _oh gods_. My blood went cold as I checked my calendar, confirming what I feared. He was away on his "work trip" this week.

"Hey, Beth, I missed you at lu— oh my god, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

I kept staring at the floor as Percy shut my door swiftly, rounding my desk to kneel in front of me.

"Talk to me, Wise Girl." Percy's voice was warm and assuring as he cupped my cheeks with both his hands. I dreaded having to say what I was going to.

"Percy." My voice shook.

"I'm here, I've got you," he soothed, his sea green eyes kind and steady.

I tore my eyes from the drab carpet to look into his sea green eyes.

"Percy," I repeated, placing my hands over his to remove them. He grew more confused as I put my hands on his shoulders. "Do you remember when Luke visited me last week?"

Percy thought for a moment, then nodded, still confused. "Yeah, and then your chair caught on fire and set off the fire alarm. Good thing I was there to save all your stuff," he said, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. 

"He was asking me to run away with him," I told Percy, who started to frown. "I said no, of course; I couldn't leave my job and everything. But he said something bad was coming, and he seemed— he seemed scared, Percy."

Percy scrunched up his brows. "Something bad? Like what?"

"It doesn't matter," I dismissed. I decided to just rip off the bandaid now.

"I know who Kronos is," I whispered, to which he stiffened, but said nothing.

"Kronos is... Luke. And I think he's about to make his final stand."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Recap:**  
>  _"Annabeth," Thalia repeated. Her voice sounded choked up. "Don't- whatever you do,_ stay away from Luke."
> 
>  _My mind was weaving theories, piecing together evidence and facts as I tried to come to terms with my worst nightmare. The strange behavior, the gold eyes at the restaurant, the lack of support after my apartment blew up, and_... oh gods. _He was away on a "work trip" this week._
> 
> _"I know who Kronos is," I whispered. "Kronos is... Luke. And I think he's about to make his final stand."_

Percy and I had been on edge ever since I'd told him of my suspicions three days ago, but needless to say, we were both helplessly unprepared when it happened.

I growled in frustration as my screen seemed to shake, the graphics getting all jumbled together. The cup of coffee sitting next to my keypad was trembling, brown liquid sloshing over the sides and running down the smooth wood of my desk in messy little rivulets.

"What the hell is happening?" I muttered, clicking my keys even harder and pressing more intensely on my mouse.

I jerked my head up just in time to see one of my awards fly off my desk and impale the opposite wall. I stood up quickly, the realization dawning on me.

Before I could do anything though, before I could shout and warn everyone to evacuate, I was knocked off my feet by the world seemingly tipping sideways.

Everything was happening in a blur; it seemed I had blinked and everything had occurred in that short time.

Another rumble shook the Half Blood Times building, this one even stronger than the last. I scrambled to grip the carpet flooring in my office as best I could to prevent myself from sliding towards my glass windows. _That_ would not have ended prettily for me.

"Annabeth!" Percy half-yelled from across the building.

"In here!" I shouted back, shooting a hand into the air from where I'd fallen on my side behind my desk. I could hear rapid footfalls, and then he was there, hauling me to my feet.

"I have to go," Percy said, his voice grave. "It's time."

"Percy, you _can't_ go, it's _sui_ -"

He cut me off with a chaste kiss, and when he pulled back, there was a strange look in his eyes that I decided I didn't like. It was like he was drinking in the sight of me, as if he knew it would be the last time he got to see it.

"A kiss for good luck." He smirked, but there was a sort of finality in his eyes. "Stay in here!" 

Then he was dashing out of the door, tearing his dress shirt off to reveal his uniform and leaving me dumbstruck in my office.

Dazedly, I made my way out the office, only to be struck by the strangest sight I'd ever seen. All over the office, my colleagues were slumped over their desks or curled into the fetal position on the floor. There was Piper, sprawled on the floor, half of her body in the copy room while the lower half of her torso and legs were stretched out in the hallway. She must've been finishing up some copies when this all happened.

" _My god_ ," I whispered, whirling around to take in the sight and collapsing against the wall in shock. They were... _asleep_. I allowed myself to look outside, through the large glass windows that covered the front of the building. To my horror, the outside world looked exactly the same. Pedestrians laid on the sidewalk, unaware of the debris right beside them, and etaxis and cars were halted in the streets, as though stuck in a traffic jam.

Then it hit me. _Why wasn't I asleep?_ It seemed as though Percy and I were the only people left on Earth.

My eyes strayed from my sleeping coworkers to Percy's white dress shirt on the ground. I leaned down on shaky legs to pick it up; the creases were still fresh from when I had ironed it this morning. I pressed it to my face (probably an odd thing to be doing in a crisis, but my boyfriend was a superhero who was currently putting his life on the line to save our city and my coworkers were too busy sleeping to judge me), trying to ingrain Percy's scent into my brain.

"Be safe, Seaweed Brain. Come back to me."  
________________________________________  
I yelped as the building shook again, nearly tumbling to the floor if not for the wall I steadied myself on. I looked up just in time to see Percy fly into a nearby building, sending the foundation crumbling. It would've killed him if not for the enhanced strength that came with his superpowers. I winced as I hoped no one was in the building.

"C'mon Seaweed Brain," I urged, pressing my hand up to the window, as if it could transfer my strength to him. "Get up."

Percy stood up just then, shaking his head. Plumes of concrete dust fell from his hair, making it look gray. There was a sort of fierceness in his eyes as he took off towards Kronos, his sword flashing bronze. He didn't make it far before one of Kronos' allies went flying into him, making him skip across the pavement until he came to a stop by making a sizable dent in a mail van.

Another monster charged Percy with a spear, making the mistake of thinking he was out of commission. I watched in amazement as Percy forced the tip of its spear into the road, delivering a spinning kick to its snout and knocking it back several yards, then picked up the spear he'd driven into the ground, impaling the next monster advancing him before charging Kronos once more.

I let myself follow Percy's path, my heart dropping into my stomach as I confirmed what I'd feared all along. There was Luke, smiling maliciously as he dragged his own sword along the ground, leaving behind a jagged crack that resembled a large claw mark. Sparks flew as he met Percy's strikes with his wicked sword. He was wearing some sort of armor, and he seemed to be glowing, like he'd swallowed a megawatt lightbulb. Even from this distance, I could see his gold eyes, making a shudder roll through me.

I made a plan, right then and there. Percy was doing a good job, but he'd be easily overwhelmed in minutes all on his own. Seeing as I was apparently the only one still conscious, I turned on my heel, making a beeline for my office. Rifling through my desk, I uncovered my prized dagger; I'd been bringing it to work in anticipation of Kronos' last stand.

I twisted it in my hand, adjusting the grip. Time to get to work.  
________________________________________  
I burst out of the Half Blood Times to a blood bath. I held back vomit as I was greeted by the sight of mangled bodies littering the streets of downtown Manhattan, either crushed by rubble from the fight or killed by Kronos' monsters. The smell of fresh blood lingered in the air.

There was a fragment of hope though, as I saw a line of slumped people under an overhang; Percy was rescuing as many bystanders as he could and putting them out of harm's way. I yelped and jumped a little as a geyser of water shot into the air from a broken pipe. The air was heavy with thick plumes of black smoke. It was hard to tell who was winning as of right now, but I could see from the rubble that covered the streets that it wasn't looking good for either side.

I didn't have any more time to dawdle though, because there was real work to be done. Scanning the battlefield, I allowed my gaze to land on my first target: a grotesque, scaly monster that looked suspiciously like the snake-lady I'd killed before. She was advancing towards Percy from his left, as another familiar monster- the bull thing that tried attacking me the night I was saved by Riptide- approached him from the right.

I scanned my environment for something to attract the monster's attention- chunks of concrete were my best shot here. Quickly, I lunged for it, aiming it towards the creature's head. She hissed angrily as she whipped around, trying to find the culprit. Her eyesight landed on me, where I stood, another chunk of concrete in hand. 

"Didn't I send your sorry ass back to hell already?" I goaded, tossing the concrete up and down.

Just as I intended, she broke away from Percy with a snarl, rushing towards me. I was thankful for my years of self defense and martial arts classes as she swiped at me with her metal talons. When she lunged at me again, I grabbed her arm and yanked it, using her momentum to propel her behind me. Quickly, I turned to where she had stumbled, hopping on her like I was asking for a piggy back ride and stabbing my dagger straight into the side of her neck.

"Ouch," I muttered as she dissolved into dust, making me fall onto my tailbone.

" _No_!"

Percy's anguished cry made me turn just in time to see the bull guy about to bring his axe onto my head. Before he could bring it down though, Percy's sword was emerging from its chest. It gave a frustrated _moooooo_ before puffing into golden dust. I looked at Percy, who was panting across the street as he glared at me angrily. He'd thrown his sword.

He jogged towards me, bending down to pick up his sword. "I told you to-"

"Jump!" I interrupted. I swept my leg out in a wide arc, effectively tripping the monster that had been approaching him from behind. Percy plunged his sword into its chest without taking his eyes off me.

He knelt to help me up, brushing a loose hair out of my eye. "Can't listen to simple instructions huh?"

"And let you have all the fun?" I huffed, sticking an arm out to the side to stab another monster in its face. "Never. Besides, can't make things too easy for you right?"

Percy pressed a chaste kiss into my temple as he sagged against me, exhausted. "Have I told you how hot you look fighting in heels and work attire?"

I rolled my eyes. Of course he had the energy to flirt right now. I kissed him briefly, then used my dagger-free hand to force him to look at me.

"I'm okay. Go," I urged, trying to hide my pain at having to separate from him. "I've got you."

Percy pressed another kiss into my lips, his eyes sad as he pulled back reluctantly. "You've got me, but who's got you?"  
________________________________________  
I wasn't sure how much time had passed; all I was aware of was the sweat beading its way down the side of my face, the ache in my muscles, the sound of my pounding heart in my ears, and the gold powder that coated every inch of my skin and clung to every strand of my hair. And of course, I was aware of Percy, never quite fighting alongside me, but always lending his support.

We worked like a well oiled team, despite the fact he'd never taken me on patrol with him, much less seen me actually fighting. If I had to be quite honest, I wasn't sure how I was holding my own against these things, but I put it down to some warped sense of fight-or— well, fight.

I snarled as I elbowed one monster in the face, then kicked off another in front of me. I stabbed one with my dagger, then stabbed the one I elbowed with another knife I'd stolen from a fallen monster. This one was a shiny silver, with a jagged blade and worn leather straps wrapped around the handle. It was strange, fighting with two knives, especially with one I'd never used before, but I adjusted quickly. I needed all I could get.

Percy, on the other hand, was going toe to toe with Kronos himself, meeting every strike with his own. I wasn't sure how he did it- I didn't even know he possessed the strength for it- but he had conjured up his own personal hurricane, swirling madly and destroying every monster that tried to get in his way. 

I slashed at a donkey-woman hybrid, making quick work to dispose of it, then wiped at a thin cut on my cheek with the back of my head. I whipped around in time to see Percy stomp on the cracked pavement. My knees buckled as the ground shook in response, knocking Kronos flat on his back. Percy raised his sword, then brought it down in a golden arc towards Kronos' chest.

I couldn't help the scream that tore out of my throat as Kronos blocked it with his sword at the last moment, the impact sending Percy into the air and tossing him back several hundred feet. I kicked another monster off of me, stabbing it between the eyes before making my way to where Percy had fallen into a crater that was rapidly filling with water.

" _Percy_!" I hissed, sliding down the side of the crater. His eyes were closed. No. I smacked his face as hard as I could. "Get up, Seaweed Brain. You can't die on me. You _can't_."

Percy caught my wrist as I went to slap him for a third time. "I'm up," he rasped.

I sobbed in relief. "I didn't know you could create earthquakes."

Percy shrugged, crying out as he pushed himself up using the point of his sword. "Lots of things we don't know."

His eyes zeroed in on the cut over my cheekbone. "You're hurt," he stated plainly.

I touched my fingers over the thin line of blood. "It's nothing."

Percy frowned, touching my cheek. He held his fingers there for a few seconds, then let go just as I felt a rush of cold, like a breeze, in that area.

I touched my cheek, bewildered. There wasn't even a scratch. "You-"

"Water heals." Percy shrugged nonchalantly, then staggered forward. 

I clutched at his arm, selfishly trying to keep him with me. "Percy, you haven't even made a dent in him." 

Percy's face darkened. "He's afflicted himself with the Curse of Achilles."

"Curse of- what is _that_?"

"It means I can't make a dent in him, especially with his power over time, but I can damn well try. At least until I can find his Achilles heel."

"The work trip," I whispered, the full scope of this situation finally dawning on me.

Percy nodded grimly.

I tugged at his torn sleeve. "You can't go back. He'll kill you!" I looked down, ashamed, as I admitted, "I'm sorry. I could've stopped all this. Back in my office. I could've stopped him before it even-

Percy took my cheek into his hand; I leaned into it readily, trying to keep the tears at bay. I had to be strong. "It's not your fault, Annabeth. You couldn't have stopped this."

Percy detangled himself away from me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I have to go. If not me, then who?"  
________________________________________  
The sun was beginning to set, and I realized we'd have to finish this fight soon, before nighttime fell and gave our enemies an advantage over us. I'd been distracted for too long though, because another of those donkey-woman hybrids got a good right hook into my jaw, sending me sprawling to the floor as my dagger skittered out of my hand and out of sight. 

I scrambled backwards, looking for something that would help me. The donkey-woman hybrid monster stalked towards me deliberately, looking at me with her glowing eyes as though I'd be her last meal.

"Give it up little girl," she jeered. Her voice washed over me in waves, and I stopped scrambling back for a moment, my eyes glazing over.

"Give...up..." I mumbled, feeling my burning muscles begin to relax.

Across the street, Percy spread his arms as torrents of water began to flow in from the Hudson River, responding to his command. He gave a defiant cry as he clapped his hands together, sending the flood rushing towards Kronos in the shape of a giant, deadly spike that sent him back several yards. I watched, frozen in place, as Percy leapt into the air, raising his sword over his head and swinging it down with all his might. Kronos growled, swatting Percy aside and creating a boom that sent Percy flying into the nearest pile of rubble at a hundred miles an hour. The donkey-woman hybrid herself stumbled from the impact.

"You see," she hissed. "Your little hero will _die_ , as will you."

"Will... _no_..." Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that Percy hadn't gotten up yet. "Will... _not_...die," I gritted out, snapping out of whatever hypnosis she had placed me in.

My fingers latched onto a thick branch that had been torn from a nearby tree, and I swung it with all my strength towards the monster's head. It gave me some satisfaction when she cried out, veering off to the side. With some difficulty, I caught my breath, then stood and hopped onto the monster, twisting and flipping around until I had her on the floor with my legs pinning down her flailing arms and my arms keeping her in a chokehold. In my martial arts classes, we were only supposed to hold this position until the other person submitted, as going without air for so long was (obviously) dangerous, but this wasn't my martial arts class, so I tightened my grip and squeezed until she stopped thrashing and poofed into dust.

I looked back at where Percy last was. He still hadn't gotten up. The ground shook with every step Kronos took. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, sending chills down my body and raising goosebumps on my skin.

 _Oh god, he's going to die_.

I nearly hurled at the thought. My mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour, looking for something, _anything_ , any type of solution. A glare caught my eye, and I followed it to see my fallen dagger, lying prettily on the crushed pavement.

My breath quickening, I crawled madly to snatch it up, then raced towards the heart of the fight as fast as I could in my work heels. Every step I took seemed slower and slower as I got closer, almost as if I was walking through a giant pit of molasses— Kronos' doing.

It didn't matter though, because all I could think was _Percy, Percy, Percy. I have to save him. I can't let him die_.

I scrambled into the circle of rubble they had created in the center of the city, not caring how many scratches I got or how many times I fell. Water sloshed against my legs from the broken pipes and the flood Percy had brought in from the Hudson River. None of it bothered me. I just had to get to him.

The sight before me was sickening. Percy was lying on the floor, his uniform torn, with wine red blood spilling from a cut above his eyebrow and gashes on his ribs. He looked sparkly from a distance, because there were shards of glass embedded into every inch of visible skin. But what scared me the most was his closed eyes and parted lips, and his pale face. He looked... _dead_.

 _Please don't be dead Seaweed Brain_ , I wished.

I swallowed a shrill scream that threatened to claw its way out of my throat, instead sprinting to his side, tossing my godforsaken heels aside. Less than ten feet in front of me was Kronos himself, breathing heavily and wiping golden blood from his nose and mouth.

 _Good_ , I thought smugly. I looked back at Percy, who was breathing shallowly, then back to Kronos, who was stalking towards us with a snarl marring his features. The ones that belonged to Luke, _my Luke_ , who was kind, and sweet, and clever, and nothing like the monster that was before me now. My dagger reflected the setting sun once more, casting a painful glare into my eyes, and all of a sudden, I wasn't 24 years old anymore. I was 7, and nothing more than a small girl hiding out in an alleyway.

" _Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters," Luke explained. The sun was framing his head in a halo so perfectly; he seemed like an angel sent from above to whisk me away from my terrible life and into a better one. "It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you're pretty clever." He winked at me._

_A huge grin split my face as 7 year old me nodded giddily. "I am clever!"_

_The affirming smile he gave me made me feel like I'd be safe forever, like I'd truly found where I belonged. Still though, I eyed him warily._

_"You're... you're not going to take me back to my family? Promise?"_

_Luke swallowed quickly, taking a moment to think before returning my stare. "You're part of our family now. And I promise I'm not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?"_

_"Deal," I agreed, feeling hopeful for the first time as he draped his arm over my shoulder._

_And what a happy family we were_.

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. _Kill me_ , I tried communicating, _just don't hurt him_.

"Annabeth Chase!" Kronos bellowed, spreading his arms out. His voice boomed all around us like we were in a stadium, and he seemed proud. I was disgusted, but I smoothed my features to not show it. "Finally you appear. I kept you awake for a reason. I did this all for you, you know. I wanted you to watch the show."

His canines were wolfish as he smiled mockingly at me. He made me sick.

"It doesn't seem very entertaining," I shot back, twirling my dagger.

"We haven't even gotten to the best part, _little girl_." The last part was growled out. 

Kronos sharpened his stare, and it was like all the molecules in the air stood still. My body felt like it was seizing, and a wave of desperation swept over me as I realized what he was doing. He was freezing me in time, all while he stalked one step closer with every slower second. _No _. He was going to kill him, and I would powerless to stop him.__

__"We had a deal!" I shouted, struggling to lift my chin up high. It was a long shot, but I needed to buy time._ _

__To my surprise, Kronos' steps faltered, his gruesome features contorting into an expression that resembled something like pain. My pulse quickened as I regained control over my body and realized it may have worked._ _

__"Don't do this," I pleaded, stepping forward to shield Percy's body with my own. I wasn't sure what my plan was; I just knew I couldn't stand idly by while Percy was dying. Everything seemed to slow down as I accepted my fate. I was going to die today. I just hoped Percy knew that I loved him. I loved him more than anyone could ever love another person._ _

__As strange as it sounded, I immediately thought of my family, back in San Francisco, probably blissfully unaware of what was going on in Manhattan right now. I pictured Matt and Bobby, with their handsome faces and impish grins, and hoped that they would grow up to be the great men I knew they'd be, and that they'd remember me, their good ol' older sister who wanted the world for them. I thought of Piper, who I’d never get to steal a cup of coffee from again, and Chiron, the best mentor I could ever ask for. I pictured Thalia, and was grateful that she was deployed overseas rather than being subject to this mess, and I pictured Luke. The fourteen year old boy who promised me a family, a fourteen year old boy who had the worst of life thrown at him and clawed his way to the top. I mourned that boy, not this monster in front of me._ _

__Kronos shook his head and snarled, continuing his trek towards me. He was five feet away now. It brought me some degree of satisfaction to see each step took a toll on him, to see that Percy had defended the city to his last breath. Two feet away now._ _

__"Luke," I called out to him, squeezing my eyes shut to clear my tears. I twisted my dagger, adjusting the grip. I wasn't going down without a fight. "Don't do this. Family. You _promised_."_ _

__Kronos staggered then, falling to his knees. When he looked up at me, his eyes were as blue as the ocean. My breath was instantly ripped away from me, and suddenly, the air seemed clearer, and my vision sharpened._ _

__"Luke," I whispered._ _

__"Promise," he muttered, absentmindedly pulling a hand up to touch the corner of his lips. His fingers came away drenched in golden blood._ _

__"Annabeth," he groaned, his face pained. His eyes were flickering now, between gold and blue. "The knife."_ _

__I clutched it closer to my chest, unsure of what to do. A hand tugged at my ankle, and I tore my attention from Luke/Kronos to see Percy, sea green eyes barely open, gripping my ankle with all the strength left in him._ _

__"Don't," he croaked, rolling onto his side to cough out a considerable amount of blood. "Yo- stronger... I believe—" His dialogue was cut off by coughing, and his voice was quieter than I'd ever heard. All I could do was stare, doe-eyed, as he grimaced, clutching his ribs before beginning to stand with a dry yelp._ _

__"Percy," I gasped, bending to grab his shoulders and help him up. The smell of iron was strong as blood gushed from the gaps between his fingers in little rivulets. His free hand held my shoulder in a death grip as he leaned heavily against me, swaying slightly._ _

__"Don't... give... in..." he gritted out through clenched teeth, his gaze searing into my own. A clammy, shaking hand cake up to cup my cheek. "You... are... stronger..."_ _

__Kronos/Luke released a strangled scream as he collapsed suddenly, writing around on the floor. When the fit passed, he rolled onto all fours and looked into my eyes again. One eye was blue as a clear sky, and the other was as gold as my dagger._ _

__"Give me the knife, Annabeth," Kronos/Luke said, each word sounding forced, as if someone was physically pulling the words from his throat. His voice sounded like two people speaking at once, each one fighting to be heard over the other person. "It's the only way."_ _

__He didn't look at me when he said it though. He looked at Percy._ _

__Finally, a wave of calm passed over me, and it was like my body went on autopilot. I could see it in my head— what would happen next._ _

__With some difficulty, I dragged Percy and myself over to where Luke kneeled in the crater, clutching his chest._ _

__"I love you," I whispered as I handed my dagger to Luke. I held Percy's gaze with my own as I said it, but I wasn't sure who I actually directed it towards._ _

__Luke accepted it with trembling hands, then removed a chunk of armor just underneath his arm. His Achilles heel. I looked on, shock nailing me in place, as Luke plunged the dagger into the flesh there with a scream that seemed to shake the whole island._ _

__A loud boom shook the buildings around us, and then the last thing I remembered was a body being flung over mine and the scent of the ocean filling my nose as I shut my eyes against the golden explosion that followed.  
________________________________________  
When I came to, I was in the Hudson River, surrounded by a bubble of water._ _

__"Percy!" I cried, beating my fists against the bubble. It popped as soon as I made contact with the surface, spilling me into a chasm of greenish water. I hurriedly pushed my way to the surface, coughing out water the whole way._ _

__"Percy!" I screamed as my head broke the surface, sticky blonde curls plastering themselves onto my face and obscuring my vision. I whipped my head around frantically, my heart racing. I had to find him._ _

__"Perc-" I stopped flailing as something in the water caught my eye._ _

__It was a strip of turquoise fabric, torn and ragged at the edges. It was dotted with blood spatters, and worst of all, a golden _R_ emblazoned in the middle. _ _

__" _No_. No, no, no, please" I chanted, paddling over to it with difficulty. My limbs felt as though they were weighed down with blocks of concrete._ _

__With trembling hands, I grabbed the fabric, holding it tightly against my chest._ _

__"Percy, where are you?" I wailed, feeling an impending sense of doom wash over me as I took in the reality of my situation. I was stranded in the middle of the Hudson River, shivering as the temperature began to drop, holding a torn strip of bloody fabric from my superhero boyfriend's uniform, with no signs of rescue in sight. And worst of all, Percy was missing._ _

__I treaded water as long as I could, until finally, my legs were quaking and beginning to give out. I shut my eyes against the onslaught of tears as I- for the second time today- accepted that I was going to die out here. Only this time, I would be alone._ _

__When I opened my eyes again though, there were bright white lights everywhere. I blinked rapidly, furrowing my brows as my vision refocused itself._ _

__It seemed I was looking up at a large white boat, but the most relieving sight was Piper, standing at the helm and peering over the side at me._ _

__"Annabeth?"_ _

__"Piper!" I sobbed, sagging with relief. She came for me._ _

__"I found her!" she shouted, turning over her shoulder._ _

__Minutes later, I found myself wrapped in a heated blanket, my stringy hair beginning to dry and a cup of steaming water wrapped in my hands. Piper fussed over me as soon as my feet touched the deck, hurrying me into a chair and calling out orders to bring me food, water, and blankets while staying to comfort me._ _

__As far as I knew, Piper had woken from Kronos' spell as soon as he died, which I was assuming was the cause behind the golden light I saw before I died. She explained that she rushed outside immediately, knowing instantly I was in trouble when a geyser of water shot up from the Hudson River and Percy was nowhere to be found. Piper had grown exasperated when the coast guard ignored her pleas to find me, so she called in a favor from her dad and took Jason and a couple other people from the office onto a yacht to find me herself._ _

__I'd never felt more grateful to have a friend like Piper looking out for me than at that moment. Now, as I sat, I was finally able to somewhat piece together what had happened in the final moments of the battle. To the best of my knowledge, Luke was dead, and he had taken Kronos with him. Piper reported that there was no body, so I had to assume he had either disintegrated, or the golden explosion I saw was Kronos' essence tearing him apart. The scent of chocolate chip cookies, waffles, and sea mist clung to every part of me, overpowering the musty scent of the Hudson River, and I could only guess that Percy had covered my body with his own to shield me from the impact of the blast. _He must've used the last of his strength to erect that bubble and the geyser_ , I realized._ _

__"Piper," I croaked, my tongue darting out to lick my lips. They were cracked and bloody, the taste of iron coming away strongly on my tongue._ _

__"Yeah?"_ _

__"Where's Percy?" I watched her exchange glances with Jason. I didn't have to take one look in her eyes to know what her answer would be, but it still didn't hurt any less when she said it._ _

__"Annabeth..."_ _

__"Where is he?" My voice grew hysterical.  
"We don't know," Jason admitted. _ _

__Piper butted in, "I promise you, we spent so long searching for him— we assumed you would be with him, but after two hours, we came up spotless, so we just started looking for you."_ _

__She didn't look me in the eyes, peering at the murky water instead, as though Percy would pop up at any second. I didn't respond to her comments._ _

__"C'mon babe, we gotta get you out of here," Piper said, twisting her lips into a wry smile that I supposed was meant to be comforting. I did nothing but nod, staring blankly ahead as she reluctantly walked off, leaving me alone with Jason and a sea of thoughts._ _

__Jason placed a hesitant hand on my shoulder. I looked at him, surprised. "Things will work out, Annabeth."_ _

__I nodded, then he walked off too._ _

__As we pulled away from the bay, I felt a tug in my gut, like it was telling me I was leaving a piece of my heart in the river._ _

__"I will find you Percy. Even if it's the last thing I do," I whispered, looking down into the murky water. I shivered once more and pulled my blanket tighter around me as a cold breeze blew my way. I had to believe that was Percy's way of telling me he'd be finding his way back to me._ _

_Find me, Seaweed Brain. Come back to me._


	5. Epilogue

I'd been searching for months. After the fight with Kronos, everyone moved on and began to rebuild. But not me. I couldn't move on, not when there was a chance he could still be out there.

It's been a year. The first few months after Percy died, I searched the Hudson River for hours on end, renting a small boat to take out, trying to find something, anything to tell me he was alive. Eventually, at Piper and Jason' insistence, I stopped searching, but I never gave up. Instead, I settled for calling his home phone everyday, leaving voicemails, hoping one day he'd stumble into his apartment and know I hadn't moved on from him, that I never would. I would wait for him, no matter how long it took.

I didn't know how I managed to do it (actually... I had some help from his mother), but I made the payments for both his rent and mine, grasping onto my fragile hope that he'd at least make it back to his apartment. I tried several times to go in, to surround myself with his belongings, but each time I worked up the courage, I couldn't make it past the parking lot without the ache in my chest becoming too painful to ignore.

 _Come back to me, Seaweed Brain_.  
________________________________________  
**Day 1:**  
I stood, horrified, in the center of the crater created by the golden blast that took Luke's life. It was as if a giant meteor had fallen from the sky and crash landed in Manhattan; the diameter of the hole was easily the length of a school bus.

My eyelids fluttered, hot tears threatening to fall from behind them as I leaned over to pick up another torn piece of fabric from Percy's uniform. With trembling fingers, I pressed the cloth into my chest, keeling over as the weight of it all hit me. _He's gone_. Ragged sobs tore themselves from my throat until I had screamed myself raw, but even then, the hole in my chest never filled.

Gravel crunched behind me. I wiped my cheeks hastily with the back of my hand as I turned my head to see a police officer approaching me. He was an older man, probably around 50, with graying hairs and a kind face.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave," he said guiltily, placing a hesitant hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, of course, I'm so sorry," I gasped, biting my lip to stem the flow of tears. "I was just leaving."

I stood shakily, hiding the fabric in my pocket before beginning to stumble off, my fist pressed over my quivering lips.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm sorry?" I turned, caught off guard by his question. 

"I said are you okay? You seem to be taking this pretty hard." The officer shrugged, but he didn't seem condescending.

I shuddered out a stuttering breath. "I um...," I sniffled. "I just— I interviewed him once, you know. So he was um....he was very special to me." My voice cracked at the statement. It didn't seem real; it seemed like a nightmare.

"You're that journalist, Annabeth Chase," the officer realized, staring at me with a sympathetic look on his face. "The one who interviewed Riptide."

I nodded brokenly. 

The police officer stuck his hands in his pockets, frowning slightly. "Yeah, he was a real inspiration to all of us. I don't know what this city will do without him."

I walked off without another word, not trusting myself to speak without breaking down again. As I headed towards the yellow tape other officers were putting up around the outer rim of the rubble, I became vaguely aware of a shrill voice, screaming.

"You don't understand, you have to let me in! My friend is in there— _don't touch her_!" I looked up to see Piper struggling against two burly police officers, spit flying and her choppy brown hair wild. Jason stood off to one side, speaking animatedly as he tried to reason with the officers holding her, while Chiron sat not too far away, also speaking to a police officer.

She relaxed slightly when she caught sight of me. "Don't _touch_ — Annabeth! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

I furrowed my brows, opening my mouth to ask her what she was talking about when I felt a calloused hand descend on my shoulder. I turned with the movement to be greeted by the officer from earlier again.

"Sorry to startle you," he said sheepishly. "It's just- I think you dropped this."

He held up his hand to reveal Anaklusmos, Percy's sword, in its pen form. I felt bile rise in my throat but swallowed it back down, feeling tears well up once again at the sight of Percy's beloved weapon. It was like someone had swept the floor out from under my feet, snuffing out all the hope I had for Percy's survival. The fact that it was here and hadn't returned to him spoke volumes.

"Yes, thank you," I choked out, accepting it and gripping it like a lifeline. "It's my favorite pen."

The words felt like chalk in my mouth.

The officer brightened up at that. "Well, I'm always happy to help. You go on and have a nice day ma'am."

I nodded at him, my lips pressed into a tight line. Piper broke free of the officers' hold as soon as I stepped over the threshold, sprinting towards me and enveloping me in a warm hug that I collapsed into readily. 

"It's okay, I've got you," she soothed as I clung to her, my tears soaking her navy flannel. "I've got you."

 _You've got me, but who's got you_? 

I sobbed harder as Percy's words echoed in my head. _I'm sorry Percy_ , I thought to myself, as if he'd hear. _I failed you_.  
________________________________________  
**Day 15:**  
The "funeral" took place two weeks later, after city workers managed to get rid of all the rubble and the bodies. The mayor organized a public service ceremony for Riptide, posthumously thanking him for his sacrifice. He was to get a medal and a plaque to commemorate his honor, which would be displayed somewhere yet to be revealed in city hall, so people could see them. They were even developing plans to erect a life-sized statue of him in Central Park to reward his dedication to the city.

I knew Percy would have blushed right up to his hair if he knew about all of this happening, but he wasn't here to be embarrassed. I'd give up all the medals and all the honors in the world just to have him back, but that also wasn't a possibility. The funeral only seemed to solidify the fact that Percy was dead, but I still held out hope for his return.

Piper had spoken to Chiron, who in turn had spoken to the mayor and pulled some strings to allow me to attend the funeral for news coverage, which I was grateful for, but every passing second that I squirmed in my seat made me want to leave more and more. This whole thing just seemed so... superficial. I couldn't help but feel stabs of resentment as I was forced to sit through generic speech after generic speech thanking Riptide for "doing this" and "saving that".

 _His name was Percy_ , I seethed, angry tears brimming at the corners of my eyes. _He was beautiful and clever and funny. He could never brush his hair out properly, and he made the best cookies. He was mine, and I am forever the luckiest girl in the entire world for being able to have him for even a minute_. 

I repeated all of this to Percy's mom, Sally, as I sat on her couch hours after the funeral, feeling sorry for myself.

"It's not fair," I whispered, shaking my head and making tendrils of hair whip my face. "He was the best of us."

"I know honey," she soothed, rubbing my back in that gentle way mothers did. "He really was special." Her tone became wistful.

I clapped my hand over my mouth, horrified as it dawned on me. "Sally, I'm so- I've been terribly rude. You lost your _son_."

Something must've broke in her then, because her calm demeanor crumpled as she buried her face in her hands. Soft sobs shook her frail frame, and suddenly our roles were reversed.

After a couple minutes, Sally sniffled and dried her tears, taking a moment to look at me. "I think it's fair to say we're both feeling the loss, huh?"

I nodded, and then we both broke into tears again, spending the rest of the night like that.  
________________________________________  
**Day 30:**  
I was technically only supposed to be on leave for two weeks, but considering everything I’d been through in the past year _and_ that I had just lost the love of my life, Chiron extended my break for another two weeks. But for the first time in my life, I was dreading returning to work. It wouldn't be the same, knowing he wasn't there to bring me coffee or remind me to take a break or force some lunch into me. How would I even pass by his desk without bursting into tears?

I shut my eyes, leaning against the cool metal wall of the elevator as it took me up to my floor. _Deep breaths Annabeth, deep breaths_ , I chanted to myself. I could do it. I could make it through one more day.

I steeled myself for the day ahead as the metal doors opened up to my floor, taking one last deep breath. Clutching my bag until my knuckles turned white, I focused simply on putting one foot in front of the other. _One more step, one more step, one more_ -

"Annabeth." Piper appeared in front of me suddenly, her voice grave. "I'm so sorry, I tried to convince him that it would be a bad idea and that he shouldn't put you on it but-"

"Who?" I asked, confused. My voice barely stretched above a whisper; it was hoarse from disuse in the recent weeks. "What's going on?"

Piper looked at me sympathetically, a crease settling between her brows as she sighed and lowered her voice. "Chiron wants you to write an article about the funeral, since you went. And..." Piper exhaled sharply, sending her bangs flailing. She was irritated. "He wants you to write an article about Riptide, since you're his friend. I tried to tell him to just put someone else on it but I couldn't say much without... _you know_."

I nodded, sucking in a shaky breath. Chiron had good intentions, I knew that, but I wasn't sure if I was up to the task. Normally, I would have jumped at the chance to write any article, especially one concerning superheroes, but with the recent events and my closeness to the situation, I wasn't sure I could live up to his expectations on this one.

"It's fine Piper," I mumbled, pushing past her to make my way towards my office. "You can tell him he'll have it by the end of the week."

As I strode through the headquarters, I became slowly aware of the amount of eyes on me. I did a quick sweep of the room, realizing everyone was looking at me with... _pity_. They knew why I'd been absent, I realized as my cheeks burned. Of course they knew; Percy was well liked by everyone in the office, and everyone knew we were together. Embarrassed by the amount of attention, I kept my head down until I finally reached my office. I couldn't have twisted the handle and shoved the door open fast enough.

Two hours later found me sat in my chair with my head cradled in my hands, my article for the most part untouched. So far, the only thing I'd managed to write was: _Riptide was beloved by all, and we will miss him dearly_. It was generic, the way it should've been for someone who didn't really know Riptide, but I couldn't help feeling guilty for the impersonal touch. More than anything, I itched to type what I really felt: _Riptide was more than a superhero; he was passionate and sweet and kind, and he was the best person I've ever met. He gave his life to protect this city, and Manhattan will be forever indebted to him_. I wanted to direct readers to the first article I'd written about Percy, and remind them that he was more than just Riptide. He was a person, just trying to do the right thing. He was _my_ person. And I had failed him.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in!" I called out softly, lifting my head tiredly.

I was greeted by the sight of Frank, Percy's assistant photographer, hiding halfway behind my door. I liked Frank; he was shy and mostly kept to himself, but he was smart and sweet once you got to know him. He was a burly Asian guy who looked like he belonged on a football field rather than behind a tiny camera, but he was really just a giant teddy bear who took great pictures and was absolutely in awe of Percy. 

"Hey Frank, what can I do for you?" I asked, trying to blink the fatigue out of my expression. I could only hope my eyes weren't as bloodshot and puffy as they felt.

Frank shuffled awkwardly into my office, and I could tell he was trying really hard to maintain eye contact. He thrust something out at me, and after a few moments of squinting, I realized it was a boxed Chinese chicken salad from the cafeteria.

Frank squirmed a little as he said, "Percy was always talking about how you forget to take lunch breaks and I thought since he... um, you know... anyways I-I just wanted to bring you lunch in case— but you don't have to take it if you don't-"

I cut Frank off by accepting the salad, placing it next to my mousepad. I smiled at him gratefully, getting up to sweep him into a hug. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

"Thank you Frank," I said, trying to convey how grateful I was for the thoughtful gesture. "Percy... he really valued your friendship, Frank. These past weeks have not been.... easy, so it means a lot that you're looking out for me."

Frank blushed as I tip-toed to press a soft kiss to his cheek. "I'm just trying to do the right thing," he shrugged. "I'm always here to help."

I shut my door softly behind him as he ambled out, returning to my desk to pick dutifully at the salad. Percy must've told Frank this was my favorite; either that, or he was a good guesser. Honestly, I wasn't in the mood to eat anything right now, but I took a couple bites out of respect for Frank.

After I'd eaten about a quarter of the salad, I pushed off my chair, deciding it was time to take a walk. My heels clicked along the carpeted floor as my feet automatically led me to the one place I was dreading but simultaneously the only place I wanted to be.

It felt like all the breath had been knocked out of me as I stood in the doorway of Percy's office. There seemed to be a sense of gloom hanging over the area, as if even his possessions knew he was gone. I shuffled forward numbly, sinking into his office chair and letting my body slump for the first time today. I was thankful for the privacy his office offered (as head photographer, he too was entitled to his own space); I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up the façade that I was fine.

My lower lip trembled as I stretched my fingers out to pick up the picture frame Percy next to his computer. It was a picture of us, at the surprise birthday party he'd thrown for me last year. The flimsy cone-shaped birthday hat on my head was crooked and there was a dollop of white frosting smeared over my cheek. I was perched precariously on Percy's lap, my eyes shut in laughter and head tossed back as I smeared frosting from my fingers on Percy's nose. And Percy... he had his eyes wide open, staring at me openly with a look that could only be described as a mixture of love and awe. He looked almost dazed, a lazy smile lingering on his lips. We were so happy.

 _Plop_. A single teardrop splattered against the glass protecting the picture, snapping me out of my stupor. I wiped my cheek hastily, not noticing I'd started to cry.

"He'll come back, you know."

I jolted slightly, startled by the sudden intruder. I snapped my head up to see Reyna, standing in the doorway and looking at me with sympathy in her eyes. 

I gaped, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to tell her he probably wasn't coming back without revealing his identity as Riptide. "I-I know, I just—" I stuttered, at a loss for words. 

Reyna did all the work for me, stepping forward to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder as she also looked over Percy's desk, untouched since the day everything went down. I guess no one had to heart to move anything while he was gone; either that or they were waiting for me to come back to clear it for them.

"They're finding new people everyday. Percy's sure to turn up at some point," Reyna said, and the look in her eyes was so earnest that I almost believed her.

 _Almost_.  
________________________________________  
**Day 105:**  
Piper greeted me enthusiastically as she ushered me into her and Jason's apartment.

"I'm so glad you came," she said gleefully, wrapping me in a warm hug before leading me to the couch. She hobbled off into the hallway to collect Jason, leaving me in their living room with a glass of water and a random news channel on the TV to accompany me.

Piper and Jason emerged seconds later, taking their place on the couch opposite the one I was sitting on. There was a nervous energy surrounding Piper; she was glowing, but she kept fiddling with Jason's fingers and playing with her hair.

"We didn't know when to tell you, especially after the... incident," Jason began, pursing his lips as he adjusted his glasses— a nervous tick of his. 

The incident he was referring to was when Chiron had informed me about a month ago that they were going to clear out Percy's office to give it to the temporary photographer they'd hired in his place, Rachel Dare. Naturally, I was devastated, because it was just another blow that served as proof he wasn't coming back, and as a result, I'd spent most of the last month in a funk. It wasn't that I hated Rachel; she was actually quite nice and we'd probably make great friends, but everytime I passed by Percy's office, I couldn't help but feel a stab of resentment whenever I saw her sitting at _his_ desk, working on _his_ computer. It was like rubbing salt in the wound.

I was brought back to the present by Jason cautiously explaining, "But we figured no time is a good time so we might as well rip off the band aid now."

He and Piper exchanged a wary glance.

Piper turned to me, biting her lip as she leaned into Jason's side. "Annabeth, I'm pregnant."

I froze for a second, unsure of what to do. Then, to Piper and Jason's astonishment, I broke into a smile— perhaps the first they'd seen from me in weeks. 

"Guys, that's great," I breathed.

Piper exhaled in relief, finally returning my smile. I could see in her eyes how excited she was. "We have something else to tell you," she said cautiously.

I straightened in my seat, preparing myself for something bad.

Jason captured Piper's hand in his, giving her a loving smile that made my chest ache. How I wished to be on the receiving end of one of those from a certain green-eyed Seaweed Brain.

"Annabeth, we'd like to ask you to be the godmother," Jason said, smiling encouragingly at me.

I raised my eyebrows. "I-" I stuttered, touched by their request. "I'd love that."

Piper squealed, leaping off the couch to envelope me in a hug. She gestured for Jason to join us, so he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the two of us.

"We would have loved to make Percy the godfather but..." Piper trailed off, avoiding my gaze.

A corner of my lip lifted in an attempt at a smile, which ended up looking more like a grimace. I could see it so clearly: Percy with Piper and Jason's baby, doting on it and spoiling it absolutely rotten. He would've been the best godfather.

"It's okay," I said, entangling myself from their grasp. I reached into my pocket, looking for Anaklusmos, which I kept there as a sort of reliever for whenever I began to feel overwhelmed. "Give them this, so they can know who their Uncle Per-"

"Annabeth?" Jason called concernedly, gripping my shoulder lightly. 

"Annabeth," Piper joined in. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Inside my pocket, my fingers scrambled to find the pen as panic slowly began to overtake me. Tears quickly filled my eyes as I was repeatedly met with empty space. "I-I can't find it," I gasped, scrambling off the couch to search the cushions. "Piper, I can't find it!"

"Can't find what? Annabeth what are you looking for?" Piper leapt off the couch to grip my shoulder tightly in hers, but I shrugged her off, too preoccupied with trying to find Anaklusmos.

"It's gone, it's gone," I chanted, tossing their throw pillows onto the rug covering their hardwood floors. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt bad for ruining their living room, but it was not my number one concern at the moment. "Where is it? I can't find it, can't find it..."

Jason gripped my wrists tightly halting my frantic movements. "Annabeth, speak clearly. What can't you find?"

Exasperated tears fell down my cheeks like waterfalls as I thrashed about, trying to free myself of Jason's iron grip. "The— the pen, Jason. The pen, Percy's sword, it's gone! It was in my pocket and now it's gone and it's the only thing I have left of him," I cried, sinking to the floor and cradling my face in my hands as Jason released them. 

Piper and Jason looked at me sympathetically, then joined me on the floor, backs slumped against the couch as they wrapped me in their arms. Ragged sobs tore themselves from my throat.

"It was all I had, and now it's gone," I moaned. "It's gone, it's...it's _gone_!"

I jumped to my feet, roaming the apartment in search of my bag and coat. Piper and Jason exchanged another glance, then followed suit. 

"Annabeth, where are you going?" Piper asked, following me until she was able to tug my arm.

"It's gone, Piper," I said.

"You said that already," she huffed, confused and surprised by my sudden change in mood.

I grabbed Piper by the shoulders, shocking her as she really looked into my eyes. "It's gone, Piper. Percy's sword is gone."

I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face as it finally dawned on her. "The pen returns to his pocket," she whispered.

I nodded, happy tears beginning to fall at the implication of the sword's disappearance.

"Percy's _alive_."  
________________________________________  
**Day 195:**  
There was a storm rolling in, I noted, as I pushed the throttle on the dingy boat I'd been renting over the last two weeks. 

I'd convinced Piper to teach me how to operate a boat, and I'd picked up on it fairly quickly. It helped that there was no time to lose, not when Percy was almost certainly out there.

I cursed as a raindrop fell in my eye, wiping it quickly. Hopefully the storm wouldn't be bad enough that I'd need to return to the docks. Working quickly, I turned the steering wheel in the direction I wanted to go, then advanced the throttle to get me up to speed.

I had a lot of area to cover, seeing as the Hudson River was as massive as it was, and I'd been covering a different area everyday for the past three months. But today, I was braving one of the areas I'd been avoiding for far too long: the spot where Piper found me.

I evened out my breathing as I approached the area, the rain beginning to fall steadily now. I lowered my speed, then put the throttle into neutral as I began to work. The rain seemed to get heavier with every second, fat drops splattering all over the deck and soaking my hair. It didn't stop me from clicking on my flashlight, peering into the water, hoping I'd find something, anything. 

If I had to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for, but I knew I'd know it when I saw it. A couple of times, I'd managed to find torn pieces of Percy's uniform, giving me hope that maybe I'd find him in a bubble at the bottom of the river, or that I'd come across some sort of clue or message he'd left for me to find.

The wind howled in my ears like it was crying with me, whipping my hair across my face as the rain fell even harder. My clothes were soaked, plastered to my skin by the torrents of rain falling from the sky, and as lightning flashed, I began to feel all my hope deflate. 

"Percy," I moaned, sinking to my knees. The deck was beginning to flood with water, but I paid it no mind. 

"Percy! Where are you!" I shouted to absolutely no one. There were no boats out tonight, probably to avoid the storm.

"Percy!" I cried, over and over again until my throat grew hoarse. I couldn't tell if the water on my cheeks was rain or tears or a combination of both, but I turned my face up to the sky as if someone up there could hear me.

"What do you want from me?" I challenged, spreading my arms. "Why did you take him from me?"

I wasn’t sure who I was talking to.

I choked on my breath as I whispered, "I can't live without you Percy. Just give me a sign that you're out there."

When nothing happened, I stood shakily, water sloshing around my feet. I shut my eyes against the pitter patter of the rain, accepting my fate as the boat began to capsize.

The next morning, I woke to find myself lying in the boat, curled up in the fetal position. Eyes wide, I scrambled to my feet, touching my clothes in complete disbelief. They were dry as a desert, like the storm last night hadn't occurred at all. And the boat was anchored at the dock, as though I hadn't begun capsizing last night, but the smell of ocean mist lingered everywhere.

Something caught my eye, hanging off the front of the boat. Tears blurred my vision as I chuckled to myself, snatching up the piece of fabric. It was a fresh tear, torn from one of the spare uniforms Percy kept in his apartment. The sun shone down on it brightly, making the turquoise fabric glimmer as I clutched it tightly against my chest, my smile so wide I nearly feared it would split my face open.

A sign.  
________________________________________  
**Day 377:**  
I was sipping on some coffee in my living room, barely paying attention to the TV show playing in the background. My eyes were bloodshot and stinging with fresh tears, and a quick glance into my phone reflection revealed my eye bags were dark as night and my eyes were dangerously sunken in. In other words, I looked like a living mummy.

I'd woken up to my everyday routine: wake up, stare at the ceiling for ten minutes, take a cold shower, get dressed. Then, make breakfast for two, cry after realizing you're only feeding one, then go to work. From there, it was: work on a new article while pretending you feel fine and avoiding Piper's insistence on talking, take a "lunch" break that involves more crying than eating, then go home and sit on your living room couch with a cup of coffee and cry some more with the TV on to drown out your sobs. After that, it was try (and fail) to work up the courage to go to Percy's apartment, ultimately leave a voicemail for him before you get dressed for bed, then sleep for a maximum of two hours and repeat. It was pretty obvious which part I was on.

I glanced at my phone, getting ready to turn off the TV and leave my daily voicemail. Today was Day 377. Just as I clicked off the TV, I heard a hesitant knock on my door. My brows furrowed. This was not a part of my daily routine. Sure, Piper had dropped by the first couple of months to make sure I was alright, but she had stopped when I convinced her I wanted to be alone and that she should focus on the baby in her belly, especially with her due date approaching so soon. I was expecting her to call me with the news any day now. Truth be told, I didn't want to be alone; I wanted to be with Percy.

Rising from the couch, I slipped on the dinosaur slippers Percy had gifted to me as a gag and headed towards the door. 

"Pipes, I told you to stay at home and-"

My breath caught as I froze, my hand still on the door handle. 

"Annabeth," said a living, breathing Percy. I must've been dreaming. His sea green eyes were as bright as I remembered, and there wasn't even a single scratch on him. Tears instantly filled my eyes as I brought one hand to my mouth to cover the sobs threatening to spill out. Percy made a move to step towards me, and suddenly I found my breath again.

"Don't," I spat out. My voice cracked at the end, giving me away. "Don't give me false hope. Who the hell are you?" 

I knew it was everything I had been wanting for the past year, but I couldn't believe it was real. After yearning for so long, it seemed like it couldn't be real.

I was vaguely aware of how crazed I looked, with my greasy hair messily tossed up in a bun while I was clothed in a ratty white tank top and (Percy's) gray sweats and wearing those ridiculous dinosaur slippers.

Percy looked taken aback. "Beth, it's me, it's really-"

I held out a shaky hand as I shook my head, backing into my apartment. "Don't call me that. Only one person gets to call me that." My voice was firm, but anyone could hear the tremor underneath if they listened closely enough. 

Percy- or imposter Percy- followed me into the apartment, shutting the door gently behind him. He continued to walk towards me, to which I responded by continuing to walk backwards, until I was pressed firmly against the back of my couch. I gasped, startled, looking at Percy with wide eyes.

"Wise Girl, I promise, it's really me," he breathed, enclosing me in by placing his arms on either side of me.

"Stop, stop," I protested, shoving his arms aside and marching over into the kitchen to grab a knife. I pointed it at him as menacingly as I could in my ridiculous choice of slippers, but I must've looked- to some degree- insane, because Imposter Percy's eyes widened and he held his hands up in surrender.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. There was so much adrenaline running through me right now, but I wouldn't let it get in the way of getting to the bottom of this. 

"If you want me to believe you," I challenged, "tell me something no one else would know."

Imposter Percy frowned, then shrugged. "Your name is Annabeth Chase. You have a father named Frederick Chase who lives in San Francisco with his wife Helen and sons Bobby and Matthew. You work at the Half-Blood Times as a journalist and your best friend is Piper McLean, a news anchor for the same company."

"Not good enough," I growled. "Anyone could get that information off the internet, so you'll have to do more to convince me, I'm afraid." 

"Okay, you-"

"Wait," I interrupted, startling him from his next monologue.

"At the office," I said, holding my chin up. "What did you do before you left?"

Percy looked taken aback at the sudden interrogation, swallowing thickly. I couldn't help but trace the movement of his Adam's apple with my eyes. He stared at me for a quick second, as if trying to decipher whether or not I was being serious.

" _What did you do_?" I demanded, waving the knife at him.

"I kissed you for good luck," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked so sincere. 

I burst into tears, my resolve breaking. " _Percy_."

"Annabeth," he replied, rushing towards me.

I dropped the knife, the metal clattering against the floor as I met Percy halfway, collapsing into him for the first time in a year. It seemed almost foreign after so long, but at the same time, it seemed so familiar. It was him; he was here and he was alive and he was _real_.

I broke away from the hug briefly to look up at Percy. The action stung, like I'd torn off a vital part of me. "It’s really you. How are you alive? Where- where have you been? What have you been doing? When I woke up in the river, you were gone, and I couldn't find you. I called you, for- for three hundred-"

"Seventy six days, I know," Percy finished.

I balked. "How did you..."

Percy took a deep breath. "Because I listened. For 376 days, I listened to every single message you left for me." The look in his green eyes was so earnest, yet pained.

"How— how could you stay away for so _long_?" I began to beat my fists against his chest, though they were weak, feeble attempts. Waves of betrayal rolled through me. "You knew I was waiting for you and you just _left me_."

Percy gripped my wrists, halting my flailing as he lowered his forehead to mine. He still smelled like sea salt and chocolate chip cookies; the scent overwhelmed me like a drug I had been missing. 

"Because I didn't know you."

I peered up at him through blurry eyes. "What?"

"I didn't know you, Beth; not really, anyways. It's all muddy; I can't really explain it. I woke up at the bottom of the Hudson River, not knowing anything about myself but you. All I knew was your name, and that I had to get back to you but I couldn't figure out how. But somehow, _something_ led me to my apartment. And then I got my first message from you, and it was like a sign or something. It made me stay. And I kept listening and listening to your messages and slowly remembering. You helped me remember."

Percy released my wrists, only to entwine one hand with mine and bring the other one up to cup my cheek. "You _saved me_ , Wise Girl."

The statement and recognition in his eyes broke something in me, and instantly, the floodgates opened as I allowed myself, finally, to relax in Percy's embrace. My sobs echoed throughout the apartment as I clutched his shirt tightly in my fists.

"I failed you," I whispered brokenly, shaking my head against his chest. "I didn't save you, I-"

Percy shushed me, pressing kisses into my temples and over my forehead. "No, Wise Girl, you didn't fail me. You could never fail me. I never would've remembered who I am without you."

I tried to protest, to convince him that what I was saying was true, but he shut me up with a deep kiss.

_Seaweed Brain _, I thought giddily. Percy kissed me until I truly began to believe him.__

__When we broke apart, it felt like the hole inside me had been filled in again. After all this time, I still had some trouble believing it was real._ _

__"So," I began, idly tracing patterns onto Percy's chest with my index finger. "Does this mean you're going to pay my rent for a year along with yours?"_ _

__Percy laughed, his shoulders shaking as he shook his head at me. I could've melted at the sight of his grin again. "How about we pay rent together for a year? If you don't like it after a year, you can move out of my apartment."_ _

__My eyes widened and my breath caught for the second time that night. "Percy, you're not saying..."_ _

__Percy nodded, his face a little more serious now. "I am. Move in with me Annabeth."_ _

__After some debating, I managed to spit out, "Who says we're living in your apartment? We both know mine is much bigger."_ _

__Percy hugged me tighter, laughing again. It was music to my ears. "I don't care whose apartment we're in, Wise Girl. As long as I'm with you. You're not getting away from me, never again."_ _

__"I think what you mean is _you're_ not getting away from me so easily," I retorted, rolling my eyes._ _

__"Potato, pot _ah_ to," Percy shrugged._ _

__"As long as we're together," I whispered, breathing in his scent._ _

__"As long as we're together," he confirmed._ _

__And we were. _Together_. No more blown up apartments, or superhero insecurities, or evil supervillains to keep us apart. Just Wise Girl and Seaweed Brain, happily ever after. For reals this time._ _


End file.
